Safeguarding future generations' fish oil needs
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of CodMarine® marks a breakthrough in the market for pharmaceutical-grade fish oil. The supplement, produced by Norway's Pharma Marine AS, is made from by-products from certified sustainable North East Arctic cod, haddock and saithe.
The company, an innovator in marine lipids, gained certification to the MSC Chain of Custody (CoC) standard for the product, which contains DHA and EPA concentrates.
Increased demand for sustainable fish oil
Minna Epps, MSC's manager, Baltic Sea Region, said: "We welcome the certification of Pharma Marine’s CodMarine. The market for sustainable fish oil is expanding fast which is a very exciting development. We are pleased to see more MSC certified alternatives in this area."
Pharma Marine has always focused strongly on sustainability and their CodMarine ingredient goes in line with the profile of supporting healthy oceans.
Leif Kjetil Gjendemsjø, CEO of Pharma Marine, said: "The sustainability standard set by MSC has since its establishment continuously gained respect worldwide and we are proud of joining MSC’s effort of recognising and rewarding sustainable fishing practices with our CodMarine ingredient line.
New technology and sustainable innovation
"Pharma Marine’s newly developed technology and proprietary in-house enzymatic processes, including purification and distillation allows us to use marine by-products with valuable nutrient and lipid content. The MSC adds unique value and strengthen our innovation efforts."
Pharma Marine is based on the west coast of Norway. After expansion of its technologically advanced facility near Ålesund in 2012, it tripled its capacity to make concentrated marine oils. The company's management has developed strong expertise in marine oil processing since the 1980s and the introduction of MSC certified CodMarine is in line with the company’s philosophy of healthy oceans.
Fish oil accounts for only 1% of MSC’s consumer facing products, but sales have doubled since 2011, driven by demand for health supplements.
Spreading the word: Vitafoods exhibition
Pharma Marine will be presenting CodMarine at Vitafoods Europe, the continent's key nutraceutical event, 6-8 May 2014 in Geneva. An MSC representative will be at Pharma Marine’s booth 14063 to discuss the opportunities of MSC certification and how certified fisheries and CoC certified companies contribute to a better future for our oceans.