These contaminants include DDT, Dieldrin and polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) which have all been identified by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as ‘probable’ carcinogens and
have been banned in the United States. The contaminants were also
found in the fish oil and meal used in pet food and animal feed as
nutritional supplements. OmegaPure is produced by Houston-based
Omega Protein, Inc., which is the largest producer of fish oil in
the United States.
“Consumers have a right to know that the products they buy to
supposedly improve their health could actually be putting them at
risk,” said John Hocevar, Greenpeace Oceans Specialist. “Omega
Protein’s products should either be cleaned-up or pulled off the
market. In the meantime, consumers seeking the benefits of Omega-3
oils should consider safer sources such as flaxseed oil or
algae-derived sources of Omega-3s.”
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
(CEFAS) laboratories – an executive agency and research body within
the government of the United Kingdom – performed the analysis for
the Greenpeace Research Laboratories located at the University of
Exeter.
The demand for Omega-3-fortified products has increased over the
years following reports that consumption of the fish oils may
reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. These benefits appear
to be driving the development of a new market for Omega-3 enriched
products including orange juice, yogurt, butter and peanut butter
among others.
“These newest findings point to the need for the White House to
let the Food and Drug Administration finalize regulations setting
manufacturing standards for dietary supplements,” said Bruce
Silverglade, legal director of the Center for Science in the Public
Interest (CSPI). “The White House Office of Management and Budget
has effectively prevented the FDA from finalizing these rules,
known as ‘Good Manufacturing Practices,’ for more than five
years.”
Over the past several years, fishermen and conservation
organizations have expressed serious concern that the vast scale of
Omega’s operations may be taking food away from striped bass,
seabirds, and whales.
“We first became concerned about Omega Protein after watching
them do everything they could to avoid regulation of their
fisheries,” added Hocevar. “Not only does the company lack concern
for the impacts of their fishing practices on the environment but
there is a similar lack of concern for the contents of the
supplements they sell.”
Full results of the study and more in depth analysis are
available at:
http://usaphoto.greenpeace.org/OmegaPureContamination/
VVPR info: Jane Kochersperger, (202) 319-2493; (202) 680-3798 (cell)
