Underwatertimes.com News Service - December 18, 2009 14:57 EST

In Op-Ed piece in the New York Times on December 15, 2009 (A Fish Oil Story by Paul Greenberg) raising concerns that fish oil supplements are a major contributor to depleting supplies of menhaden, a fish that plays an important role in the ecosystem of our waterways, quickly became one of the top 10 emailed articles from that newspaper's web site and remains so two days later. With so many readers seeing the author's comments, Originates, the supplier of EssentiOmega fish oil concentrates to the nutritional supplement industry, feels compelled to set the record straight on the origins of most fish oil.

"Misinformation can discourage consumers from using nutritional products that have been shown to be highly beneficial, and we want to make sure the industry has enough information to respond to consumer concerns," said Leslie van der Meulen, Originates Director of Sales.

For a variety of reasons including purity and environmental impact, most companies, like Originates, derive their fish oil from small species with high reproductive cycles and relatively short life spans such as anchovy and sardine. Many ingredient suppliers do not use larger fish with longer lifecycles caught as mature adults because they are more likely to have higher concentrations of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), and their removal from the oceans may have an undesirable environmental impact. Manufacturers should be able to provide information of the source of their fish oil ingredients.

Additionally, the fishing industries of Peru and Chile, especially, are closely monitored by those governments because these are important industries for them. They actively work to make sure that manufacturers stay within the boundaries set by international organizations.

The health benefits of fish oil have been well documented, with new studies contributing to the body of science being published weekly. In fact, the category has amassed more clinical science than the most researched pharmaceutical drug in the world, LipitorĀ® As public awareness of these benefits has steadily increased demand for fish oil, the responsible core of the industry has worked to ensure that the quality of supplemental fish oil is protected.

""The omega-3 industry has succeeded because it is built on credibility and trust with the consumer, which is why Originates and the other members of GOED are dedicated to educating the industry about responsible manufacturing of omega-3s and continually raising the quality bar," said Adam Ismail, Executive Director of the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED).

Originates is committed to minimizing the impact of its manufacturing processes on the environment in other ways besides responsible sourcing of small, short lifecycle fish. The company closely monitors its manufacturing facilities, and has water treatment and recirculation systems that recycle and re-use residual and in-process waters. The manufacturing facilities implement solid waste management programs to collect, segregate, store and dispose—through re-use and recycling—its residual materials. The facilities also use equipment to closely monitor CO2 emissions.

With more than 35 years of experience worldwide, Originates produces the highest quality products for human nutrition, cosmetics and animal nutrition.

The company's Fish Oil Omega 3-concentrates molecular distillation plant is located in Colombia, close to the source of Peruvian Fish Oils. Because of this proximity to raw-material sources, Originates is able to maintain the highest level of raw-material freshness. Originates is equipped to meet demand in both the U.S. and the international market place effectively. With global headquarters in Sunrise, Florida, and warehouses in California and Florida, Originates can easily transport product by air, sea or land anywhere in the world.

For more information please visit www.originates.com or call 800 999 9373.