LAB ANALYSIS UNCOVERS CARCINOGENIC CONTAMINANTS IN POPULAR BRAND OF OMEGA-3 FISH OIL TABLETS
Banned Chemicals - DDT, Dieldrin and PCBs - Found in OmegaPure Brand Supplements
Washington — An independent laboratory analysis released today has identified high levels of three toxic chemicals in the popular brand of Omega-3 fish oil nutritional supplements known as OmegaPure.
These contaminants include DDT, Dieldrin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which have all been identified by the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as ‘probable’ carcinogens and have been banned in the United States. The contaminants were also found in the fish oil and meal used in pet food and animal feed as nutritional supplements. OmegaPure is produced by Houston-based Omega Protein, Inc., which is the largest producer of fish oil in the United States.
“Consumers have a right to know that the products they buy to supposedly improve their health could actually be putting them at risk,” said John Hocevar, Greenpeace Oceans Specialist. “Omega Protein’s products should either be cleaned-up or pulled off the market. In the meantime, consumers seeking the benefits of Omega-3 oils should consider safer sources such as flaxseed oil or algae-derived sources of Omega-3s.”
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) laboratories – an executive agency and research body within the government of the United Kingdom - performed the analysis for the Greenpeace Research Laboratories located at the University of Exeter.
The demand for Omega-3-fortified products has increased over the years following reports that consumption of the fish oils may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. These benefits appear to be driving the development of a new market for Omega-3 enriched products including orange juice, yogurt, butter and peanut butter among others.
"These newest findings point to the need for the White House to let the Food and Drug Administration finalize regulations setting manufacturing standards for dietary supplements,” said Bruce Silverglade, legal director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). ”The White House Office of Management and Budget has effectively prevented the FDA from finalizing these rules, known as ‘Good Manufacturing Practices,’ for more than five years."
Over the past several years, fishermen and conservation organizations have expressed serious concern that the vast scale of Omega’s operations may be taking food away from striped bass, seabirds, and whales.
“We first became concerned about Omega Protein after watching them do everything they could to avoid regulation of their fisheries,” added Hocevar. “Not only does the company lack concern for the impacts of their fishing practices on the environment but there is a similar lack of concern for the contents of the supplements they sell.”
Source: Greenpeace
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