Omega-3 Fish Oil
Omega-3 fish oil is the refined oil rendered from oily marine fish, valued for its content of the long chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. It is the natural, unconcentrated article, in which the fatty acids remain on their original triglyceride backbone in the arrangement laid down by the fish.
The principal raw materials are small pelagic species caught for reduction, chiefly anchovy, sardine, menhaden and capelin, along with trimmings from salmon, tuna and whitefish processing. Composition varies with species, season and feeding ground, but a typical anchovy oil carries around 18 percent EPA and 12 percent DHA, with the balance made up of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids together with squalene, sterols and fat soluble vitamins.
The refined oil is a clear pale yellow to light amber liquid, insoluble in water and miscible with other oils, and it clouds when chilled because the saturated fraction begins to crystallise, which is normal for an unwinterised natural oil. With five and six double bonds on its principal active fatty acids, it oxidises readily and develops the familiar fishy off odour once it does. It is therefore stabilised with tocopherols, blanketed with nitrogen at every transfer, held cool and away from light, and released against peroxide, anisidine and total oxidation limits.
We source bulk Omega-3 Fish Oil 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 to light amber oily liquid |
| Odour and Taste | Slight marine note, free from rancid character |
| EPA (of total fatty acids) | ≥ 18.0% |
| DHA (of total fatty acids) | ≥ 12.0% |
| Total Omega-3 Fatty Acids | ≥ 30.0% |
| Identification | Conforms by gas chromatography fatty acid profile |
| Free Fatty Acids (as oleic) | ≤ 0.2% |
| Peroxide Value | ≤ 5.0 meq/kg |
| Anisidine Value | ≤ 20 |
| Totox Value | ≤ 26 |
| Moisture and Volatiles | ≤ 0.05% |
| Insoluble Impurities | ≤ 0.05% |
| Unsaponifiable Matter | ≤ 1.5% |
| Dioxins and Furans | ≤ 1.75 pg WHO-TEQ/g |
| Sum of Dioxins and DL-PCBs | ≤ 6.0 pg WHO-TEQ/g |
| Lead | ≤ 0.1 mg/kg |
| Mercury | ≤ 0.1 mg/kg |
Common Markets Grades
The market first divides by refining state. Crude fish oil is a bulk commodity traded on free fatty acid, moisture and impurities for onward refining or for feed. Refined, bleached and deodorised oil is the food and supplement article. Within it, grades are quoted as EPA and DHA percentages in the two figure trade shorthand. The standard natural profile is 18/12, with 15/10 and species specific profiles such as salmon or cod liver oil traded alongside.
Beyond assay, buyers specify the contaminant tier, since dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyl and heavy metal limits are where much of the refining cost lies, and a low contaminant grade meeting the stricter voluntary programmes is a distinct product. Flavour is another axis, with deodorised and lemon or orange flavoured oils made for direct dosing. Cod liver oil is specified additionally on vitamin A and D content. Feed grade oil, stabilised with ethoxyquin or a tocopherol based alternative, is a separate line, as are microencapsulated powders and emulsions built on the refined oil.
Applications
- Softgel and liquid omega-3 supplements, the largest food sector application
- Cod liver oil products, sold on vitamin A and D alongside omega-3
- Fortified foods and beverages, added as a microencapsulated powder or emulsion
- Infant and clinical nutrition, where a natural triglyceride profile is specified
- Nutrition bars, chews and dairy products using the encapsulated form
- Feedstock for the manufacture of omega-3 concentrates and ethyl esters
- Aquaculture feed, as the principal lipid source in salmon and marine fish diets
- Pet food and pet supplements aimed at coat, skin and joint condition
- Poultry and pig feed, used to modify the fatty acid composition of eggs and meat
- Cosmetic and personal care formulations using marine lipid fractions
Brands Using Omega-3 Fish Oil
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Omega-3 Fish Oil on the ingredient label.
- Wiley's FinestWild Alaskan Fish Oil Peak EPA ↗Each softgel lists concentrated omega-3 ethyl esters from wild Alaska pollock fish oil, giving 750 mg EPA and 250 mg DHA.Label verified 2026-08-31
- Sports ResearchTriple Strength Omega-3 Fish Oil 1250 mg ↗The product copy states the omega-3 fish oil is sourced from wild Alaska pollock and refined into a triglyceride form softgel.Label verified 2026-08-31
- Barlean'sFresh Catch Ultra EPA-DHA Fish Oil Softgels ↗A softgel sold as concentrated fish oil supplying EPA and DHA from wild caught fish.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 Fish Oil
Top Omega-3 Fish Oil 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, marine oils rich in EPA and DHA are the subject of GRAS notifications to which the FDA responded without objection for defined food uses, and menhaden oil in particular is affirmed for use in food. Fish oils are also widely sold as dietary ingredients under the dietary supplement framework. Fish is a major food allergen requiring declaration. The FDA has issued qualified health claims relating EPA and DHA intake to coronary heart disease and to blood pressure, and any such claim must follow the wording of the relevant enforcement discretion letter. Feed grade oil falls under the FDA animal food rules and the ingredient definitions maintained by the association of state feed control officials.
In the European Union, fish oil for human consumption is a food rather than an additive, so no E number applies, and the hygiene rules for products of animal origin cover its manufacture, requiring the raw material to come from approved establishments and setting conditions for rendering. Fish is an allergen that must be emphasised in the ingredient list. The contaminants regulation sets maximum levels for dioxins, dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls and heavy metals in fish oil, and authorised health claims for EPA and DHA at specified intakes appear in the claims register. Fish oil for feed falls under the animal by-products and feed hygiene rules. Codex has adopted a standard for fish oils which names the oils covered, including anchovy, sardine, menhaden and cod liver oil, and sets fatty acid composition ranges and quality criteria.
Manufacturing Process
Fish landed for reduction is chilled and processed quickly, since raw material freshness decides the quality of the oil. The catch is cooked in an indirect steam cooker at around 90 to 95 degrees Celsius, which coagulates the protein and ruptures the cells so that oil and water are released, then pressed in a twin screw press. The press liquor carrying oil, water and fine solids is decanted to remove sludge and passed through a disc stack centrifuge, where the crude oil is separated from the aqueous stickwater. The oil is polished with hot water washing and a second centrifugation. The press cake and the evaporated stickwater become fish meal, so the two products come off the same line.
Crude oil is then refined for food use. Degumming with water or acid removes phospholipids and trace metals; alkali neutralisation converts free fatty acids to soapstock, which is separated centrifugally; bleaching on activated earth removes pigments, oxidation products and some contaminants; winterisation is applied where a clear oil is wanted at low temperature. Persistent organic pollutants are removed by short path distillation or by adsorption on activated carbon. Finally the oil is deodorised by steam stripping under deep vacuum at the lowest workable temperature, since higher temperatures isomerise the polyunsaturated fatty acids. The finished oil is cooled, dosed with tocopherols, polish filtered and filled under nitrogen.
