11.01.10
Recent tests of fish, algal and krill oil supplements revealed quality problems with seven of the 24 products selected by ConsumerLab.com, White Plains, NY. Three products contained less of the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and/or DHA than claimed, spoilage was detected in one of these products as well as in two others (including a children’s supplement), an enteric-coated product released its ingredients too early and a supplement for pets exceeded the contamination limit for PCBs. Seventeen other products passed testing, as did 15 products similarly tested through ConsumerLab.com’s voluntary certification program. Most products met ConsumerLab.com’s strict contamination limit for dioxin-like PCBs of 3 picograms per gram (3 parts per trillion). However, one product (a pet supplement) slightly exceeded this limit with 3.14 picograms per gram. However, this exposure is still very small compared to that from fish meat—a small serving (3 ounces) of fatty fish such as salmon may provide as much as 170 picograms of dl-PCBs as well as a significant amount of mercury. Trace amounts of dl-PCBs were found in all supplements, despite claims on some of being free of contaminants. There was no detectable mercury in any of the supplements.