Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are gaining more attention from the public at large, with recognition of omega-3 EFAs particularly on the rise. Information from the 2009 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation Food & Health Survey noted 74 percent of consumers are aware of omega-3 fatty acids, with approximately one-third of shoppers claiming awareness of omega-6s. Additionally, IFIC found just over half of consumers said they are trying to consume more omega-3 fatty acids.
Interestingly, food marketers seem to be one of the main drivers of consumer interest. “Awareness of EFAs is going up in the mainstream population due in part to the proliferation of omega-3 fortification in common foods at the supermarket such as orange juice, yogurt, eggs, cereal and energy bars,” said Autumn Bree, marketing and education manager, Manitoba Harvest. “It is hard to tell if most of the consumers are actually knowledgeable about the details of the nutritional benefits that these EFAs offer, but at least they are becoming aware in general that they are important.”
Similarly, Angela Dansby, communications manager, CanolaInfo, reported a survey conducted by Cogent Research for CanolaInfo among more than 1,000 primary grocery shoppers showed 88 percent of respondents were looking for cooking oils with omega-3 EFAs; only 50 percent said monounsaturated fats were an important factor in the purchasing decision. She also observed, “Lower awareness of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids in the United States may, in part, be driven by less use of nutrient-content claims with these terms on product labels. Omega-3 fatty acids claims are more prevalent than omega-6 or omega-9 claims in the marketplace and consumers seem to have a better understanding of omega-3s as well.”
Users of dietary supplements and natural products also may have a greater interest in incorporating omega-3s into their health regimen. Andreas Koch, marketing manager, Barlean’s, said surveys are showing omega-3 supplements have become nearly as popular as multivitamins among supplement users, and those people who regularly take multivitamins also regularly take omega-3 supplements.
That said, Mitch Propster, CEO, Core Naturals, questioned whether even health-conscious consumers are aware of how various EFAs affect human health. “The vast majority of our customers are very familiar with the fact that omega-3s are supposed to be good for you, but they can’t articulate exactly why,” he said. “And once you drill down to the individual components of EFAs, there is definitely confusion.”
Propster added some confusion in the consumers’ minds may come down to how EFA and omega-3 products are marketed. “Many companies market these products as ‘all things being equal,’” he said. “The real story here is that we’re not talking apples to apples.”
Adding to that marketing confusion is the ongoing discussion of the sources of omega-3 EFAs. “Overall, thanks to years of positive mass media reports, a healthy number of Americans have heard that ‘omega-3s are good for me,’” said Dean Mosca, president, Proprietary Nutritionals Inc. “They also primarily connect omega-3s with fish oils and cold-water fish consumption. While we don’t think the general public has a good understanding of the different EFAs, this creates an opportunity for retailers to educate the public about the differences and supplement options.”
One media report surfaced recently in U.S. News and World Report (April 8, 2009), in which reporter Sarah Baldauf interviewed three nutrition experts on whether source matters when boosting omega-3 intake. Marion Nestle, a professor at New York University, said she thinks the science is inconclusive on whether it’s best to get omega-3s from marine or plant sources: “I think plant sources are highly underrated and that most of the fuss about omega-3s is about marketing, not health.” The article also cited Stephen Kopecky, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, as suggesting consumers looking for complete vegetarian omega-3s might want to combine algae-source DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) along with plant-based sources of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which the body primarily converts into EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).
In fact, there are many reasons why consumers are exploring vegetarian sources of EFAs. The most commonly cited by industry marketers are ethical issues, concern over sustainability and questions on toxicity of marine-source ingredients. “Most savvy vegetarians know they need EFAs, but because they don’t want to ingest any animal products, they are looking for a quality vegetarian source,” Propster said. “Smaller groups of customers are influenced by fish allergies or social issues, such as the widespread criticism of fish farming.”
That plays into the issue of sustainability and production. Rally Ralston, managing partner, Salba Smart Natural Products, observed, “Individuals are realizing that vegetarian sources of EFAs are coming from natural, renewable resources that we can replenish without harming the ecology of the planet and, in most cases, make the planet even better.”