Courtesy of Epax
GRAS- and non-novel food-approved EPAX® Evolve 05 will debut at Vitafoods Europe
Epax has launched EPAX® Evolve 05 – the world’s first commercially available VLC-PUFA (very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid) product.
VLC-PUFAs are a family of Omega-3 fatty acids that offer particular potential in the healthy ageing category. Pre-clinical studies have found that supplementation is associated with improved sight,1 and that depletion is linked to age-related phenomena such as reduced bone density and muscle strength.2 Additionally, VLC-PUFAs have been found to have profound effects in areas such as skin health and male fertility.
Epax has played a leading role in much of the research on VLC-PUFAs from fish oil. Ten years ago, Epax discovered that fish oil contains small amounts of these valuable fatty acids and developed a method for concentrating them. Epax now holds several patent families in the field, paving the way to development of EPAX® Evolve 05 – a unique new marine concentrate, and the world’s first commercially available VLC-PUFA product.
Containing around ten times the amount of VLC-PUFAs as crude fish oil, the patent-protected concentrate is part of the company’s NovusLipid range, which features up-and-coming marine ingredients.
EPAX® Evolve 05 has already been evaluated by regulators. Acting on behalf of EFSA, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority has concluded that it is not a Novel Food, allowing it to be marketed in the EU. In the US, Epax recently obtained self-affirmed GRAS status following an expert panel assessment. To achieve this, it performed genotoxicity and repeat dose toxicology studies, leading to two peer-reviewed papers.3,4
Commercial availability means that Epax can now also support researchers by providing samples of EPAX® Evolve 05 for intervention studies.
Bjørn Refsum, CEO of Epax, said: “VLC-PUFAs offer enormous potential in areas like vision and healthy ageing. However, research into their benefits was previously hindered by a lack of material containing VLC-fatty acids in significant amounts. We’re proud to have been able to develop a VLC-concentrate that opens the door for further research and brings a new family of valuable fatty acids to the marketplace. The stage is set for a new era for Omega-3.”
Exhibiting at Stand 3J58, Epax will showcase EPAX® Evolve 05 at Vitafoods Europe (20th to 22nd May in Barcelona).
1 Yang, Z.H., et al., Dietary fish oil enriched in very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid reduces cardiometabolic risk factors and improves retinal function. iScience, 2023. 26(12): p. 108411.
2 Li, X., et al., Lipid metabolism dysfunction induced by age-dependent DNA methylation accelerates aging. Signal Transduct Target Ther, 2022. 7(1): p. 162.
3 Tobin, D., et al., Genotoxicity evaluation of a fish oil concentrate containing Very Long Chain Fatty Acids. Toxicol Rep, 2023. 11: p. 249-258.
4 Tobin, D., et al., Toxicological evaluation of a fish oil concentrate containing Very Long Chain Fatty Acids. Food Chem Toxicol, 2024. 186: p. 114518.
About Epax
Part of Norwegian fishery giant Pelagia AS, Epax Norway AS is a leading manufacturer of concentrated marine oils.
Epax® has been an innovator for over 180 years. Since 1838, when it began producing premium quality cod liver oil, Epax has transformed the marine ingredients sector. It invented the technology to concentrate fish oil as an ethyl ester, and to re-esterify oils back to TG-form. Epax was also the first company to create condition-specific EPA/DHA ingredients backed by science. Today Epax continues to deliver Omega-3 products of unmatched purity and quality.
The Epax production facility in Ålesund, Norway, has, in addition to all standard manufacturing certifications/approvals, been approved by the US FDA for manufacture of Pharmaceutical Intermediates and by the Norwegian Medicines Agency (Legemiddelverket) for the production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).
