Algae Oil EPA
Algae oil EPA is a microalgal oil standardised on eicosapentaenoic acid, the 20 carbon omega-3 fatty acid with five double bonds. It differs from the far more common algal DHA oils in that the production organism accumulates EPA as the dominant long chain omega-3, which makes it the only non fish route to a concentrated EPA supply.
Two organism types are used. Photosynthetic microalgae of the genus Nannochloropsis naturally accumulate EPA at 20 to 35 percent of fatty acids with essentially no DHA, and are grown in ponds or photobioreactors. Heterotrophic thraustochytrids, in some cases strains selected or engineered for a shifted fatty acid profile, are grown by fermentation on sugar and give higher oil yields per unit volume. The EPA is carried as triglyceride in both cases.
The refined oil is a pale yellow to greenish-yellow liquid, insoluble in water, miscible with other oils, and liquid at ambient temperature. Its practical constraint is oxidative stability: five double bonds make EPA nearly as unstable as DHA, so the oil is stabilised with tocopherols or rosemary extract, blanketed with nitrogen at every transfer and specified on peroxide and anisidine values that are rechecked on receipt. Two formats reach the market: neat oil for oil dosing, and a microencapsulated powder for dry systems.
We source bulk Algae Oil EPA from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Zhejiang. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
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- Function
- Specialty oil
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear pale yellow to greenish-yellow oily liquid |
| Odour and Taste | Bland to slightly marine, free from rancid notes |
| EPA (of total fatty acids) | ≥ 25.0% |
| DHA (of total fatty acids) | ≤ 1.0% |
| Total Omega-3 Fatty Acids | ≥ 30.0% |
| Identification | Conforms by gas chromatography fatty acid profile |
| Acid Value | ≤ 0.5 mg KOH/g |
| Peroxide Value | ≤ 5.0 meq/kg |
| Anisidine Value | ≤ 20 |
| Trans Fatty Acids | ≤ 1.0% |
| Unsaponifiable Matter | ≤ 4.5% |
| Moisture and Volatiles | ≤ 0.05% |
| Residual Hexane | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Lead | ≤ 0.1 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 0.1 mg/kg |
| Mercury | ≤ 0.04 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 1,000 cfu/g |
| Salmonella | Negative in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
Assay defines the grade. A native triglyceride oil from Nannochloropsis is traded at 20 to 30 percent EPA on total fatty acids, while concentrates produced by molecular distillation and re-esterification reach 50 percent and above. Oils that are essentially free of DHA are specified as such, since a clean EPA profile without DHA is the reason a formulator chooses this material over a general algal omega-3.
Format is the second variable. Neat oil goes into softgels and oil phase dosing; microencapsulated powder at 10 to 20 percent EPA, spray dried inside a protein or modified starch wall, goes into powders, bars and dairy; emulsions are made for beverages. All grades carry a vegan and vegetarian claim and are free of the marine contaminant and allergen profile of fish oil, which is the commercial basis of the product. Feed grade material, sold as whole algal biomass rather than as refined oil, is a separate line.
Applications
- Vegan and vegetarian omega-3 softgels and capsules, the principal supplement application
- Formulations positioned specifically on EPA rather than on total omega-3, where a low DHA profile is wanted
- Plant based milks, yoghurts and cheese alternatives, added as an emulsion or encapsulated powder
- Fortified beverages and shots, using the emulsion or clear complex form
- Nutrition bars and baked snacks, using the powder form to survive processing
- Clinical and enteral nutrition, as a defined lipid component free of fish allergen
- Prenatal and maternal supplements blended with algal DHA oil
- Aquaculture feed, where algal EPA reduces the fish meal and fish oil requirement of the diet
- Pet supplements aimed at skin, coat and joint condition
Brands Using Algae Oil EPA
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Algae Oil EPA on the ingredient label.
- MomentousVegan Omega-3 ↗Algae oil from Schizochytrium sp. is the sole omega-3 source, contributing 500 mg of EPA per serving.Label verified 2026-08-31
- FloraOmega-3 Vegan Algae EPA & DHA ↗Schizochytrium algal oil provides 166 mg of EPA alongside 334 mg of DHA in a two softgel serving.Label verified 2026-08-31
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Algae Oil EPA
Top Algae Oil EPA manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States, oils from Nannochloropsis and from other EPA producing microalgae are the subject of GRAS notifications to which the FDA responded without objection for defined food uses, and they are sold as dietary ingredients under the dietary supplement framework. The GRAS position attaches to the specific organism, manufacturing process and specification, so the notification covering the material in hand should be identified rather than assumed from the general category.
In the European Union, oils from named microalgal species are listed in the Union list of authorised novel foods, with the permitted food categories, maximum levels and specification set out there and tied to the particular strain and process; an oil from a species or route not covered by an existing listing requires its own authorisation. EPA is a nutrient rather than an additive, so no E number applies, and the nutrition and health claims regulation carries authorised claims for EPA and DHA at specified intakes. Codex has adopted a standard for fish oils that sets composition and quality criteria for EPA rich oils, and the same quality parameters, acid value, peroxide value and anisidine value, are used in trade for algal material.
Manufacturing Process
For the photosynthetic route, Nannochloropsis is cultivated in closed tubular photobioreactors or in lined raceway ponds under controlled nutrient supply, light and carbon dioxide addition. The culture is grown first for biomass and then placed under nitrogen limitation, which triggers lipid accumulation. The dilute culture is concentrated by settling, membrane filtration and centrifugation, since harvesting a suspension of a few grams per litre is the main cost of this route. For the heterotrophic route, the production strain is grown in stirred tank fermenters on glucose under controlled dissolved oxygen and pH, and biomass is separated directly by centrifugation.
The concentrated biomass is disrupted, usually by high pressure homogenisation or bead milling, since these cells have tough walls, and the oil is recovered either by aqueous phase separation or by extracting the dried biomass with hexane or supercritical carbon dioxide. The crude oil is then refined through a train adapted for a highly unsaturated feedstock: degumming, neutralisation of free fatty acids, bleaching on activated earth to remove chlorophyll and oxidation products, winterisation where the saturated fraction would cloud the oil, and deodorisation by steam stripping under deep vacuum at the lowest workable temperature. Where a concentrate is wanted, the refined oil is transesterified to ethyl esters, fractionated by short path molecular distillation and re-esterified to triglyceride. The finished oil is dosed with antioxidants and filled under nitrogen.
