The eighth GOED Exchange conference took place two weeks ago, January 23-25, in Athens, Greece, with almost 250 attendees — plus another 20 virtual attendees — participating in the event. The conference included sessions on Artificial Intelligence, pet foods, European packaging, omega-3 product quality, supply chain challenges, omega-3 diagnostics, the latest in China, sustainability and much more. GOED Exchange 2024 also hosted an afternoon of networking activities including a “modern art” creation for a local charity and a scavenger hunt in downtown Athens, as well as a gala dinner at the Acropolis Museum. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive.
A tradition at the GOED Exchange is the presentation of two Lifetime Achievement Awards and this year’s two winners were Dr. Philip Calder and Dr. Andrew Sinclair. Click here to see the awards presentation.
For the first time, GOED also presented three GOED member awards to individuals at member companies who were noteworthy in their assistance to and support of GOED. The three winners were: Sinan Muderrisoglu with Sifar Illaclari, Geir Frode Olsen with Epax Norway and Dimitri Sclabos Katevas with Tharos Ltd.
Congratulations to all winners and thanks again to all who attended the conference as well as our sponsors, who helped us bring the event to life. See you all in 2026!
Get Ready for
Global Omega-3 Day™ 2024
Global Omega-3 Day™, March 3rd (03-03), is less than a month away! To help you promote this important day, we’ve updated our Global Omega-3 Day Communications Toolkit. Here you will find graphics, key messages, sample social media posts and a blog post you can adapt or simply cut and paste to use in your own communications channels.
Please let GOED know of any Global Omega-3 Day-related activities your company is planning, and we will further amplify them through our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter and LinkedIn).
Please note that GOED does not analyze or make any representation of accuracy for the Omega-3 News items. This is simply a compilation of news articles found on the internet that are relevant to the EPA and DHA business.
Highlights
New Members
In January, seven new companies joined GOED at the Base level and one joined at the Affiliate level.
Vitablend is a Dutch company that develops and produces nutritional premixes and antioxidant systems. Jan den Boer is the primary contact.
Presentations Available from MOH EC Stakeholder Forum
As reported in the January 22 GOED Current, the European Commission (EC) recently held a Stakeholder Forum on Mineral Oil hydrocarbons. The presentations from that meeting are now available and can be found here.
dsm-firmenich’s US Patent Upheld
The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) upheld GOED member dsm-firmenich's patent US10392578, which was challenged by GOED member Mara Renewables. This allows dsm-firmenich to have exclusive rights to certain microbial lipid compositions with DHA triglyceride fractions of 40 wt.% and higher.
RSVP for GOED’s Technology and Innovation Roundup Event
Join us for GOED’s Technology and Innovation Roundup Event on February 27 from 10 am to 12:30 pm EST [click to see your time zone]. Meet our dynamic members, including service providers, testing laboratories and contract manufacturers to discover how their expertise can elevate your omega-3 business. The webinar is free and all are welcome.
According to Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, global cod landings have declined by 33% over the past decade. In 2023, the global cod catch was 1.12 million metric tons, a 42% decrease over the last eight years. In 2024, a 15% decline in Atlantic cod catches is predicted, while Pacific cod landings are expected to remain relatively flat at around 330,000 metric tons for 2024.
Ecuador is proactively seeking to boost its tuna exports to the US and Canada due to a decline in shipments to Europe, historically the largest market.
After learning that the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will no longer provide “nonprescription fish oil dietary supplements” to Veterans, GOED submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for all the documentation associated with the decision. The VA’s reason for such action is that they can no longer guarantee nonprescription fish oil dietary supplements are “effective and safe.”
We will let you know once we receive any information, but it’s important to note that a FOIA request takes an average of almost a year to fulfill.
On January 4, the Thai Food and Drug Administration introduced new notifications on nutrition labeling for prepackaged food, including MOPH Notification No. 447, which outlines criteria for functional claims. Notably, foods featuring the claim "DHA and EPA contribute to the normal function of the heart" must have a minimum of 40 mg of DHA and EPA per serving or per 100 grams or 100 ml, and a message advising the consumption of 250 mg of DHA and EPA per day must be displayed.
GOED is offering connections for companies looking for omega-3 related solutions or partners. If you are interested in including an anonymous request, please contact Ashley Becnel.
A Chinese company is looking for 100 tons of 18/12 fish oil per year. [Posted 1/15/2024]
GOED member Eurofins is hosting a webinar titled, "Unlocking the Future of Consumer Product Compliance: the EU’s Digital Product Passport," on March 5.
GOED member Aker Biomarine has partnered with Brazilian ingredient supplier Kilyos Nutrition to introduce its Superba krill oil to supplement brands in Brazil.
The Chinese cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) health supplement data pack for December 2023 published by TMO Group and GOED partner HPA China included the following highlights:
GOED member Blackmores brought in 32 million RMB (US$4.5 million, €4.14 million) in sales revenues, ranking third among the top ten health supplement brands.
Swisse High Potency Omega-3 Fish Oil ranked third in best-selling products by monthly sales volume.
Swisse High Concentration Deep Sea Fish Oil ranked sixth in the best-selling products by monthly sales revenue. GNC's 97% Purity Deep Sea Fish Oil and Omegor's Jinkaiser Fish Oil 95% Purity Omega-3 Deep Sea Fish Oil were tenth and 15th, respectively, on the list.
Zeinpharma's Cod Liver Oil Capsules and Viva Naturals' High Concentration Deep Sea Fish Oil had higher than average sales.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has updated its economic impact study on the US supplement industry. The 2023 total economic impact of the industry, which included fish oil supplementation, was US$158.6 billion (€145.8 billion), a 23% increase from 2016, with a contribution of $20 billion (€18.4 billion) in tax revenue for 2023.
Contract manufacturer Catalent conducted a survey that found that 43% of people worldwide have difficulty swallowing pills, 62% are willing to spend money on gummies and 44% are willing to spend money on chewables. The company is hosting a webinar on the topic of "Opportunities & Insights in a Dynamic Gummy Market" on February 27 at 10 am CST.
According to e-commerce data software firm Moojing Market Intelligence, China's health and dietary supplement market was valued at approximately 328.3 billion yuan (US$45.6 billion,€41.91 billion) in 2023. In the same year, 30 new Chinese brands each achieved sales exceeding 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million, €1.3 million).
Seafood firm Chicken of the Sea, owned by GOED member Thai Union, has collaborated with US celebrity Jessica Simpson to target millennials and younger demographics. The partnership includes a campaign to showcase Chicken of the Sea's Wild Caught Tuna and Salmon packets launched last fall.
Pet food brand Blue Buffalo has launched a Valentine’s Day special edition dog treat product Blue Bits Chicken Recipe treats, which are snacks formulated with chicken, pea protein and fish oil.
GOED member Veramaris has set its first Scope 3 greenhouse gas reduction target, aiming for a 22.5% absolute reduction by 2030 with an emphasis on both technical and operational improvements.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has partnered with Sea Shepherd Global to challenge the krill fishing fleets in the Southern Ocean. Their campaign aims to monitor the fleet's impact on marine wildlife in proposed marine protected areas, advocating for closing the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Orkney Islands to krill fishing.
Over 100 chefs, organized by the nonprofit Oceana, have urged the US President to expand the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) to prevent illegal fishing. Currently, the program covers only 13 species and there is a widespread call for the program's expansion.
Japanese supermarket chains JCCU and Seven & i Group have broadened their accepted certifications for seafood purchases. They are extending beyond the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) to include any seafood products certified by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI).
A study by the University of Plymouth revealed unexpectedly lower levels of EPA and DHA in algae in the Arctic Ocean, challenging established beliefs of a decline in production due to global warming. Variations in algal proportions indicate potential increases with warming, benefiting non-ice-associated food webs.
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