Tom Vierhile is the director of innovation insights for Datamonitor. He has more than 20 years of experience in consumer packaged goods reporting and analysis, much of that with Datamonitor’s product launch analytics database of new products.
Scott Steinford is co-founder and president of ZMC-USA based in The Woodlands, Texas. He has a combined 17 years of pharmaceutical industry experience with 10 years of nutritional industry experience to develop a broad focus of the healthcare arena.
It has taken decades to establish essential fatty acids (EFAs), particularly omega 3's, as a reputable nutritional category, and only now are they starting to get the attention they rightfully deserve.
Technological innovations and recognition of health benefits have allowed for the recent fortification of certain foods with omega 3 fatty acids, propelling the category into a period of unprecedented growth.
ONC is a company that has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1997. Today it employs nearly 300 people at its headquarters in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and it is forecasted to grow 60% each year for the next several years. Lately, ONC has been busy pushing its newest technology, which allows for the fortification of foods and beverages with fish-derived omega 3 fatty acids. At the same time, it continues to investigate other renewable resources from the ocean for use in supplements and functional foods.
Increasing consumer awareness of the health benefits of essential fatty acids, particularly omega 3's, is generating a wealth of opportunities for their use in functional foods.