Capsules’ paltry omega-3 levels just a bit fishy

Fish oil pills may be investigated in Australia after research showed most of the bottles sold in New Zealand carry false claims.

Worker Tory Bowes of Brooklyn Park looking at fish oil tablets in a health shop in Victoria Square, Adelaide.

Fish oil pills may be investigated in Australia after research showed most of the bottles sold in New Zealand carry false claims.

Only three of the 32 fish oil brands tested by Auckland University and Newcastle University researchers contained the amount of omega-3 fatty acids declared on their labels.

The supplements had on average 68 per cent of the claimed content, according to the study published in Scientific Reports.

Half of the products tested were encapsulated, labelled and marketed from Australia, said University of Auckland’s Wayne Cutfield.

A Therapeutic Goods Administration spokeswoman said the TGA was reviewing the study to see if any action was required.

There are 683 products containing fish oil on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, she said. And fish oil-containing products may be sold in Australia as foods, which are not regulated by the TGA, she added.

“The TGA will consult with Food Standards Australia on this,” she said. “Where a compliance issue is found, appropriate action is taken.”

Steve Scarff from the Australian Self Medication Industry said the New Zealand study was not relevant to Australia.

“Fish oil products are highly regulated in Australia,” Mr Scarff said. “Australian consumers can be confident the fish oil products they buy here contain the ingredients listed on the label.”

The list of brands tested has not been released.

The researchers also detected worryingly high levels of oxidisation in the supplements, which can reduce the efficacy of the omega-3 fatty acids.

The long-term health implications of high oxidation products is not known.