algae to add to cattle feed to supply sufficient DHA and EPA
without affecting the cow’s appetite.
The researchers had consulting agreements with the
company Omega3Beef (Oklahoma City, USA; http://www.
omega3beef.com), which seeks to commercialize the ome-
ga-3-enriched beef. According to Don Van Pelt Smith, chief
executive officer and founder of Omega3Beef, the type of
algae is also important. Smith and his colleagues tested different types of algae and found a genus, Schizochytrium,
that maximized the transfer of omega-3s from feed to beef.
Fortuitously, these algae are already produced commercially in
large quantities for the harvesting of their omega-3-rich oil.
A serving of Omega3beef provides about 190 mg total DHA
and EPA. This compares to about 7 mg total DHA and EPA in a
burger made from grain-fed cattle, and about 14 mg total DHA
and EPA in a burger from grass-fed cattle. In a flavor-rich food
like beef, these amounts do not impart a fishy odor or aftertaste,
says Smith. Because of the cost of the ultra-pure algae feed supplement, Omega3Beef is about $0.35 per pound more costly
to produce than conventional beef. According to the company’s website, researchers plan to do large-scale tests with more
cattle before seeking the approval of the Center for Veterinary
Medicine of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for
feeding the Schizochytrium algae to beef cattle. Smith says that
these feeding trials will begin soon, with results expected later
this year. But European consumers may have the first opportunity to purchase Omega3Beef. Smith notes that Schizochytrium
algae have already been approved as a safe feed ingredient for
animals in Europe. He estimates that Omega3Beef will be commercially available in Europe by the end of 2017.
In 2015, a team of scientists led by Gong Cheng at
Northwest A&F University, in Yangling, China, took a transgenic
approach to producing omega-3-enriched beef (Cheng, G., et
al., http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10529-015-1827-z). The researchers introduced a gene from nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans)
into cattle fetal cells using somatic cell nuclear transfer. The
gene, called fat1, encodes a desaturase enzyme that converts
omega- 6 fatty acids to omega-3s, including ALA, DHA, and EPA.
Soap Manufacturing Technology, Second Edition
Edited by Luis Spitz
May 2016 | ISBN 978-1-630670-65-8
List: $210 | Member: $150
Editor and contributing author Luis Spitz leads a world-renowned team in providing
comprehensive information on all components of soap manufacturing
including formulation, performance evaluation, cleansing
systems, and more. This revised edition contains two new
chapters. Soap Manufacturing Technology, Second Edition,
serves as a technical reference book, ideal for both
experienced and beginning soap producers, soap suppliers,
and researchers in the home and personal care markets.
● Includes new figures, tables, and text updated from the first edition
● Provides an overview of the AOCS methods used for the evaluation
of soap and soap products
● Includes two new chapters: “Semi-Boiled and Integrated Saponification
and Drying Systems” and “Soap, Soap/Synthetic, and Synthetic Laundry Bars”
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