Omega-3 Acid Triglycerides
Omega-3 acid triglycerides are concentrated marine fatty acids presented in triglyceride form, in which enriched eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid have been esterified onto a glycerol backbone. The name follows the pharmacopoeial convention, and the product is distinguished from ordinary fish oil by concentration and from ethyl ester concentrates by chemical form.
Because omega-3 fatty acids can only be concentrated in the ethyl ester state, a triglyceride concentrate is not a natural oil that has simply been enriched. The route runs through the ester and back again: the natural triglycerides are cleaved, the fatty acids fractionated as ethyl esters, and the enriched fraction then re-attached to glycerol. The product is therefore also traded as re-esterified triglyceride, and the distribution of fatty acids among the three positions on the glycerol differs from that of the original oil.
The finished material is a clear pale yellow oil, more viscous and denser than the corresponding ethyl ester and closer in handling to a conventional edible oil. It is insoluble in water, miscible with other oils, and stays clear at refrigeration temperature because the saturated fraction was removed during concentration. It is less aggressive towards gelatine shells and plastics than the ethyl ester, which is one of the reasons formulators pay a premium for it, but it remains highly unsaturated and is stabilised with tocopherols, blanketed with nitrogen and specified on oxidation values.
We source bulk Omega-3 Acid Triglycerides from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Sichuan. 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 oily liquid |
| Odour and Taste | Slight marine note, free from rancid character |
| EPA (of total fatty acids) | ≥ 33.0% |
| DHA (of total fatty acids) | ≥ 22.0% |
| Total Omega-3 Fatty Acids | ≥ 60.0% |
| Triglyceride Content | ≥ 90.0% |
| Free Fatty Acids | ≤ 0.5% |
| Identification | Conforms by gas chromatography fatty acid profile |
| Acid Value | ≤ 1.0 mg KOH/g |
| Peroxide Value | ≤ 5.0 meq/kg |
| Anisidine Value | ≤ 20 |
| Totox Value | ≤ 26 |
| Oligomers | ≤ 1.5% |
| Moisture and Volatiles | ≤ 0.05% |
| Dioxins and Furans | ≤ 1.75 pg WHO-TEQ/g |
| Lead | ≤ 0.1 mg/kg |
| Mercury | ≤ 0.1 mg/kg |
Common Markets Grades
Grades are quoted by total omega-3 content and by the EPA to DHA ratio, in the trade shorthand of two figures such as 33/22 or 50/20. Common levels run at 50, 60, 70 and 80 percent total omega-3, with EPA rich, DHA rich and balanced profiles available at most concentrations. Because re-esterification is an additional processing stage, each grade sits at a higher price than the equivalent ethyl ester.
Beyond assay, the market separates material meeting a pharmacopoeial monograph for omega-3 acid triglycerides, with limits on free fatty acids, partial glycerides and oligomers, from supplement grade released to a food specification. The degree of re-esterification is itself a specification, since residual monoglycerides and diglycerides left from an incomplete reaction affect both stability and mouthfeel, and the certificate normally reports triglyceride content as a percentage. Flavoured, emulsified and microencapsulated versions are finished formats built on the same oil rather than separate grades.
Applications
- Softgel capsules in the premium omega-3 supplement market, where a triglyceride form is claimed on the label
- Liquid omega-3 supplements, flavoured and emulsified for direct dosing
- Medicinal and clinical products formulated on triglyceride concentrates that meet a pharmacopoeial monograph
- Infant and paediatric nutrition, where a triglyceride form matching the natural lipid is specified
- Enteral and parenteral nutrition lipid components
- Fortified foods and beverages, added as an emulsion or microencapsulated powder
- Nutrition bars, chews and gummies using the encapsulated form
- Pet supplements and veterinary formulations aimed at joint, skin and coat condition
- Aquaculture broodstock diets requiring a concentrated triglyceride omega-3 source
Brands Using Omega-3 Acid Triglycerides
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Omega-3 Acid Triglycerides on the ingredient label.
- Wiley's FinestPeak Omega-3 Liquid ↗A concentrated fish oil guaranteed 90 percent triglyceride form, supplying 2,300 mg of EPA plus DHA per teaspoon.Label verified 2026-08-31
- Viva NaturalsTriple-Strength Omega-3 Fish Oil ↗Softgels delivering omega-3 fatty acids in the re-esterified triglyceride form.Label verified 2026-08-31
- Barlean'sFresh Catch Fish Oil Softgels Orange Flavor ↗Provides EPA and DHA in purified triglyceride form from wild-caught fish.Label verified 2026-08-31
- Carlson LabsElite DHA ↗A professional-strength liquid fish oil supplied in rTG, the re-esterified triglyceride form.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 Omega-3 Acid Triglycerides
Top Omega-3 Acid Triglycerides 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, omega-3 triglyceride concentrates are sold as dietary ingredients under the dietary supplement framework, and GRAS notifications to which the FDA responded without objection cover specific marine oil preparations for defined food uses. Fish must be declared as a major food allergen. The FDA has issued qualified health claims relating EPA and DHA intake to coronary heart disease and to blood pressure, and the wording of any such claim must follow the relevant enforcement discretion letter. Material intended as a pharmaceutical active ingredient is made under drug good manufacturing practice and supported by a drug master file.
In the European Union, the European Pharmacopoeia carries a monograph for omega-3 acid triglycerides which sets the minimum EPA, DHA and total omega-3 content and limits on oxidation and related substances. Sold as a food supplement, the material is a food rather than an additive and carries no E number, but because a re-esterified concentrate lacks a history of consumption before May 1997 it may require authorisation under the novel food regulation, and several such oils appear in the Union list with their specifications. Fish is an allergen that must be emphasised in the ingredient list, and the contaminants regulation sets maximum levels for dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in fish oil. Codex has adopted a standard for fish oils which addresses concentrated oils.
Manufacturing Process
The route begins as for any omega-3 concentrate. Crude fish oil is refined by degumming, alkali neutralisation, bleaching and vacuum deodorisation, with a dedicated stripping step to remove dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls. The refined oil is transesterified with anhydrous ethanol over an alkaline catalyst, glycerol is separated off, and the resulting ethyl ester mixture is enriched by short path molecular distillation, urea complexation, or chromatographic separation where the highest assays are needed.
The step that defines this product is the return to triglyceride. The enriched ethyl esters, or the free fatty acids obtained by hydrolysing them, are reacted with glycerol under lipase catalysis, typically using an immobilised sn-1,3 specific or non specific lipase in a packed bed or stirred reactor at 50 to 70 degrees Celsius under vacuum. The vacuum removes the ethanol or water released as the ester bonds form, driving the equilibrium towards the triglyceride. Enzymatic catalysis is used in preference to chemical catalysis because it runs at a temperature that does not damage the highly unsaturated fatty acids. The reaction is carried far enough to leave only a small residue of mono and diglycerides, the enzyme bed is separated, and unreacted free fatty acids and partial glycerides are stripped by short path distillation. The finished oil is polish filtered, deodorised under deep vacuum, dosed with tocopherols and filled under nitrogen.
