Why is the IFOS mark not on the packaging?
Dear Vincenzo,
The IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) label is a certification of the quality of the supplement that carries it-whereby quality means the absence of potentially health-threatening contaminants and the freshness of the oil in the capsules, and not only that. In fact, the IFOS label also certifies that the concentration of Omega 3 within the capsules is indeed as stated on the label.
Why is a certified Omega 3 supplement better?
The need for such certification arises for more than one reason. The most obvious one is that while it is true that not all Omega 3 supplements on the market are the same price, it is also true that the cheapest purchase is not always the one made at the lowest price. Not only that, even at the same price per gram one supplement might be cheaper than another if the amount of Omega 3 actually present in its capsules does not match the amount stated on the label.
The problem is not purely economic, because the choice of dosage (how many capsules to take each day) depends on the concentration stated on the label. A lower actual concentration could lead you to unknowingly take an insufficient dose of Omega 3 relative to your needs and, therefore, prevent you from getting the expected results from supplementation. A concentration certification such as that issued by IFOS reassures her, first of all, in this regard.
The second reason quality assurance is desirable is the possible contamination of the raw material with substances that may have undesirable health effects, such as heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins. The presence of these substances is due to pollution of the seas in which the fish from which the oil is obtained to produce Omega 3 supplements live. By ruling out the presence of such substances, IFOS certification assures you that the supplement you are about to take is safe.
Finally, it is important to keep in mind that fish oil, precisely because it is an oil, can oxidize. What is more, Omega 3s are fats that tend to oxidize more easily than others. An oxidized fish oil brings with it two problems: the presence of substances (the products of oxidation) whose danger cannot be ruled out, and the reduction in the concentration of Omega 3 (transformed by oxidation into other molecules). IFOS certification guarantees you are taking fresh, unoxidized Omega 3s.
How it is obtained and what 5 Star certification means IFOS
IFOS certification corresponds to the highest quality standard available worldwide for Omega 3 supplements.
It is released following testing administered by SGS Nutrasource, an independent private company based in Guelph, Canada, that analyzes Omega 3 supplements lot by lot, then in the state in which they arrive in the hands of the end consumer.
Certification involves the awarding of one star for each test passed. IFOSTM 5-Star certified supplements, such as Omegor® Vitality 1000, Omegor® Veg, and several of our other products, guarantee:
- An oxidation of less than 75% of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) standard;
- PCB levels below 50 percent of the CRN standard;
- dioxin levels below 50 percent of the WHO (World Health Organization) standard;
- The correspondence between actual and labeled concentration.
In particular, the multiple molecular distillation process to which the oil contained in our supplements is subjected makes it possible to achieve very high levels of purity, so much so that the values of pollutants traced in production batches are among the lowest in the world:
- le diossine non superano le 0,5 parti per trilione (< 0,5 picoTEQ/kg);
- i PCB non superano le 0,045 parti per milione (< 0,045 mg/kg);
- lead and mercury values are below the detection limit (10 parts per billion = 0.01 mg/kg).
These values earn our products two of their 5 IFOS Stars. Another testifies to their freshness, thus the absence of oxidation. A fourth is, on the other hand, the aforementioned guarantee of concentration. The fifth, finally, is awarded for obtaining positive ratings in all the tests carried out.
Where to check certification
The IFOS program provides a public online database on whether the company from which you intend to purchase Omega 3 has certification and whether the commercial batch has been analyzed and certified. You can check it out here: International Fish Oil Standards - IFOS. By entering the name of U.G.A. Nutraceuticals you will discover all our IFOS certified products.
Hoping we have provided you with a comprehensive answer, please contact us again for any further clarification.
Sincerely.
Omegor's team of pharmacists
