NORWAY
Rimfrost
Top quality krill oil for heath products
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mega-3 fatty acids are not only to be found in fish oil but also in the body fat of a large number of crustacean species. Antarctic krill, a group of small shrimp species that measure only a few centimetres in length, plays a particularly important role here. They inhabit the marine regions around the South Pole in almost inconceivable quantities (estimates range from stock biomasses of between 125 and 700 million tonnes.) Rimfrost from FosnavĂĽg, a member of the internationally operating Olympic Group, uses these resources for the production of natural extracts of Antarctic krill. The company operates a fishing vessel that is specially equipped to meet the requirements of krill fishing and the difficult climatic conditions of Antarctic waters. On board the “Juvelâ€? the tiny crustaceans are processed to krill meal. Because the tiny animals spoil quickly the fishermen only catch that amount of krill that can be processed very quickly. Research Director Inge Bruheim describes the gentle process which takes place at low temperatures using enzymes: “The catch-fresh krill are hydrolysed immediately using enzymes and afterwards the shells are removed using a centrifuge. They contain fluorine in high concentrations which after the animal’s death passes into the muscles making the flesh inedible.â€? Afterwards the remains are pasteurised which also deactivates the enzymes, removes excess water and then the krill meat mash is vacuum dried at low temperatures. Packed under
Research Director Inge Bruheim and Vice President Ole Arne Eiksund. The positive effects of krill oil on the heart and brain functions, liver and fat metabolism and visual abilities have been adequately proven in clinical tests.
protective atmosphere the krill meal is reliably protected from oxidation. Every individual work stage is documented, the whole process can be traced back to the start. “We produce about one tonne of krill meal from five tonnes of fresh krill“, says Bruheim. “The fishery is sustainable, as confirmed by MSC and Friend of the Sea (FoS).� Later on, krill oil is extracted from the krill meal. This process takes place on land in factories in North Carolina (USA) and New Zealand. Krill oil consists of one quarter of omega-3 phospholipids and is also rich in cholin and astaxantine. It is better absorbed by the body than fish oil, and the fatty acids are, according to Rimfrost, intact and effective, something which has been confirmed in studies conducted by the Technical
University of Denmark, Oslo and Bergen Universities and Wollongong University in Australia. Krill oil from Rimfrost generally gets higher scores in tests than other krill oils. Ole Arne Eiksund who, as vice president of the company, is responsible for worldwide marketing puts this down mainly to the gentle processing of the fresh krill on board the Juvel. “A lot of companies are put off by the higher cost of processing at sea and use frozen raw materials. But then it is hardly to be avoided that part of the raw material oxidizes and loses quality.� The differences were already visible in the colour of the oils, says Ole Arne Eiksund. “A dark brown coloured krill oil is always a sign of advanced oxidation. In contrast, krill oil from Rimfrost has a light ruby red colouring which indicates top quality.� That has its price,
however, and the krill oil capsules from Rimfrost cost at least twice as much as fish oil with similarly high EPA and DHA concentrations. Ole Arne Eiksund believes the high price is justifiable because krill oil was much more than a conventional omega-3 preparation: “It is a natural multi nutrient concentrate that contains 60 phospholipids and 250 mg EPA and DHA per soft gel capsule. Apart from that, the oil is rich in astaxantine which acts as a natural antioxidant.â€? This composition made krill oil extremely attractive for health-conscious consumers and the claimed effects were confirmed and in accordance with the health claims permitted by the EU. At “Vitafood 2016â€? in Geneva Rimfrost received a lot of attention and acknowledgement for its ultra-high krill oil capsules. Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2017
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