Omega-3 preparations are a growing category in the nutritional supplement market. There are good reasons for this: they appeal to a wide audience and offer health benefits for all age groups, from prenatal development to fitness in old age.
According to Euromonitor, sales of omega-3 supplements will grow steadily in the coming years. New formulations and combinations can add to sales growth. Now, SternVitamin offers an omega-3 power that lets pharmaceutical and healthcare companies make tablets for the first time. Tablets have several advantages compared with conventional capsules.
Production costs are a big factor. 'With our new omega-3 powder, any company that already manufactures tablets can make omega-3 tablets on their existing equipment, whereas softgel capsules often have to be outsourced to contract manufacturers,' noted Jan Heuer, Head of Business Unit, SternVitamin. 'This lets these companies benefit from the growing demand for omega-3 products.'
SternVitamin’s new omega-3 powder is also user-friendly. Tablets made with it are odour- and flavour-neutral. They have no unpleasant fishy taste and cause no reflux symptoms such as burping. Another plus point is that the powder can easily be combined with other ingredients like vitamins, minerals and plant extracts.
For example, adding zinc results in a preparation for beautiful skin, whereas adding B vitamins gives a product that boosts concentration and performance. With folic acid, the powder becomes a special nutritional supplement for pregnant women. Through these target-group specific concepts, omega-3 tablets offer maximum value creation potential through additional marketing possibilities.
'Our new powder contains 18% omega-3 fatty acids,' explains Jan Heuer. 'A 1g tablet therefore has 162mg of omega-3 fatty acids, with 135mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).'
Depending on the size, one or two tablets cover the WHO and EFSA (European Food safety Authority) recommended daily intake of 250mg of EPA and DHA. The bioavailability of the fatty acids in the tablets is at least as good as with the capsules. In addition, the tablets have a comparatively long shelf-life of 3 years. The powder itself has a shelf-life of 2 years, a plus for production and sales.
