DHA Oil & Hexane

Is the DHA Oil you use in your products extracted by the use of hexane?

No. DHA used in our products is extracted from algae without using hexane hence it is free of hexane.  

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DHA Oil and GMO

Some websites claim Martek's Life's DHA Oil is a GMO product. What is your answer? 

Below is the statement that was sent to us by DSM, parent company of Martek, regarding the DHA Oil and GMO. It clearly states that their DHA Oil, which is used in some of our products, is a non-GMO product:

DHA and ARA products produced by DSM Nutritional Products for use in infant formula, supplements, food and beverages, and animal feed are produced from organisms that are not genetically modified. No regulatory body or legal body considers DSM Nutritional Products’ DHA and ARA products to be comprised of or obtained from, genetically modified organisms. 

All ingredients of DSM Nutritional Products’ DHA and ARA are in compliance with the European Commission’s requirements for non-GMO material. The European Commission’s policies and oversight of genetically modified organisms and their use in products are widely recognized as the most stringent in the world. 

Most recently, the U.S. National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) determined that the DHA and ARA products produced by DSM Nutritional Products are not the product of genetically modified organisms or processes.  The NOSB is the citizen advisory board created by the U.S. Congress to oversee the most stringent non-GMO policy under U.S. Federal law.  Following a nearly 18-month review of DSM’s petition for continued use of its DHA and ARA products in certified organic products, NOSB, the leading organic authority in the world, conducted a four-day public meeting that included two days of public testimony.  The forum provided every interested party an opportunity to speak and included the testimony of many scientific experts.  The GMO issue was thoroughly reviewed through an open, public, and deliberate process. The NOSB determined, by a vote count of 12-2, that ARA from fungal oil and DHA from algal oil should be classified as “nonsynthetic” substances and reconfirmed their use in certified organic products. 

In response to allegations during the meeting that the fungal and algal sources of DSM’s products were the product of genetic manipulation, the NOSB directed a question to the USDA’s National Organic Program (“NOP”) staff regarding the scope of its prohibition on such practices.  The government’s answer was unequivocal – the traditional breeding and selection methods used by DSM for its algae and fungi are accepted practices under the U.S. federal organic regulations that prohibit recombinant genetic technology. 

Following the four-day public meeting, on December 2, 2011, the board voted, by an overwhelming majority, to recommend DHA from algal oil and ARA from fungal oil for inclusion on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The NOSB also recommended that the classification of DHA and ARA on the National List be changed from synthetic to non-synthetic. The National List contains a specific list of substances that may be used in or on processed organic products.  The board’s recommendation rejected the claims that DSM’s products are the product of prohibited methods and ratified the existing U.S. policy to allow the use of algal  DHA in certified-organic food and beverage products. 

There are claims that our products must be genetically modified because some of the patents protecting algal DHA and fungal ARA include language that refers to the use of recombinant DNA technology.  These claims are false. Patent claims are designed to be broad in order to provide protection against all possible methods that competitors might utilize to produce similar products. Patents that include protection for recombinant DNA technology are designed to prevent competitors from using recombinant DNA technology to create genetically modified organisms that mimic the naturally occurring, non-GMO organisms we discovered and use to manufacture our products. These patents, in fact, are actually preventing the use of GMO organisms by competitors who might wish to produce algal DHA and fungal ARA. 

DSM Nutritional Products’ DHA and ARA are not the product of genetically modified algae or fungi and do not contain prohibited ingredients. The U.S. National Organic Standards Board and the European Commission standards regarding GMO’s are met. Individuals and organizations that continue to claim that DSM’s DHA and ARA products are GMO are misinformed or willfully ignoring the actions of the NOSB, the world’s leading organic authority. 

DSM Nutritional Products’ DHA and ARA are sustainable, vegetarian and from non-GMO organisms.  In addition, they are free of ocean-borne contaminants and do not contribute to overfishing. DSM Nutritional Products is committed to responsible and sustainable processes and products and has a comprehensive program in place to monitor, evaluate, and continually improve our impact on the environment. We highly value our organic partners and believe that our products are consistent with the important values of the organic industry, including health and nutrition, quality, and sustainability. 

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DHA Oil and Mutagenesis

I read on some websites that mutagenesis means genetic modification and therefore DSM (aka Martek) Life's DHA Oil is GMO. What is your response? 

Below is the response from DSM:

There are claims that the use of classical mutagenesis in the development of our products means that they are genetically modified. This is false. Classical mutagenesis is a method of plant breeding. The use of mutagenesis does not introduce any foreign genetic material to the plant organisms, but instead uses mutagens – for example, ultraviolet light – to increase the rate of mutation that naturally takes place in plant organisms.  Classical mutagenesis is not considered genetic modification by any legal or regulatory body and has been used for generations in agriculture. 

Additionally, there are claims that DHA and ARA are microencapsulated and are therefore GMO because organic regulation prohibits the use of microencapsulation. This claim is false and based on misinformation. In December 2000 the USDA issued its Final Rule establishing the National Organic Program.  The Final Rule prohibited certain practices and methods in organic agricultural production. The list of “excluded methods” included irradiation and gene manipulation or modification.  In the Final Rule, the term “microencapsulation” was discussed in the context of methods commonly used to genetically modify organisms and it appears on the list of prohibited methods.  The prohibited method is a technique used for the encapsulation and direct incorporation of foreign heritable genetic material into a receptor cell to generate an organism with recombinant genetic material. DHA and ARA sold by DSM have never undergone genetic encapsulation. DSM Products does not now, nor has it in the past engaged in encapsulating genetic material within its algae or fungi.  In food processing technology “encapsulation” refers to a variety of practices that are used to provide enhanced protection for oils to prevent their oxidation and degradation during processing. This type of microencapsulation plays a major role in enhancing the shelf life of functional food and beverage products and is widely used in the food industry but has nothing to do with genetic engineering. 

DSM Nutritional Products’ DHA and ARA are not the product of genetically modified algae or fungi and do not contain prohibited ingredients. The U.S. National Organic Standards Board and the European Commission standards regarding GMO’s are met. Individuals and organizations that continue to claim that DSM’s DHA and ARA products are GMO are misinformed or willfully ignoring the actions of the NOSB, the world’s leading organic authority. 

DSM Nutritional Products’ DHA and ARA are sustainable, vegetarian and from non-GMO organisms.  In addition, they are free of ocean-borne contaminants and do not contribute to overfishing. DSM Nutritional Products is committed to responsible and sustainable processes and products and has a comprehensive program in place to monitor, evaluate, and continually improve our impact on the environment. We highly value our organic partners and believe that our products are consistent with the important values of the organic industry, including health and nutrition, quality, and sustainability. 

 

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Rosemary Extract in DHA Oil

Rosemary Extract is listed as one of the ingredients in your DHA product and I've heard that rosemary extract may be harmful during pregnancy. Is this true?

Deva Nutrition uses Martek DHA Oil in its DHA products. Rosemary Extract is added as a flavoring by Martek ,the algae oil manufacturer, at levels less than 0.5% (less than half a percent).

Martek DHA Oil is a FDA GRAS (generally recognized as safe) class food ingredient. Prescription prenatal vitamins that contain Martek's DHA Oil are commonly recommended by physicians to pregnant women.

Any brand DHA product (DEVA or not) that uses Martek's DHA Oil (a.k.a. Life's DHA) by default does contain rosemary extract in minute amounts. Whether a company declares the rosemary extract on the product label or not is a different issue since some companies do not do it. Deva Nutrition chooses to disclose all of the ingredients. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify this subject.   

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Sunflower Oil in Algal DHA Oil

Sunflower oil is listed as one of the ingredients in your Omega-3 DHA. Why do you add sunflower oil (an Omega-6 oil) to this product and how come some DHA products sold by other companies do not list sunflower oil on the label? Are they better than yours?

Deva Nutrition uses Martek DHA Oil in its DHA products. Sunflower Oil is added by Martek ,the algae oil manufacturer, during their oil manufacturing process at levels between 1% and 15%, typically around 1%. Deva Nutrition does not add any sunflower oil during the encapsulation stage or any other manufacturing stage. It may be important to realize Algae Oil itself does contain some Omega-6 as part of its natural structure therefore no algae oil in the world can be 100% Omega-3. Although added Sunflower Oil may increase the Omega-6 content of the oil slightly this is a negligible increase. Sunflower oil also makes the oil more stable and serves a purpose. 

Any brand DHA product (DEVA or not) that uses Martek's DHA Oil (a.k.a. Life's DHA) by default does contain some sunflower oil. Whether a company declares the sunflower oil on the product label or not is a different issue since some companies do not do it. Deva Nutrition chooses to disclose all of the ingredients. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify this subject.  

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