Analysis of the Omega-3 Fatty Acids Content in Commercial Omega-3 Supplements in Arab Gulf Countries

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3; EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n3; DHA) content of omega-3 supplements sold in Arab Gulf Countries with the contents claimed on the product label. Thirty-one commercial supplements purchased from stores in 3 different countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain) had their fatty acid composition and content were analyzed using gas-chromatograph with a 100 m SP-2560 fused silica capillary column. The range of measured EPA was 5.09 to 469.63 mg per capsule and for DHA was 10.47 to 357.26 mg per capsule. The percentage of the stated label amount for EPA and DHA ranged from 6.5 to 138.6% and 10.9 to 126.3%, respectively. Using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling requirements where a supplement must contain at least 80% of the stated label amount of each component listed, only 43.8% of the supplements were compliant for EPA and 40.6% were compliant for DHA. Additionally, only 21.9% of the measured EPA and DHA fall within the 10% of the stated label amount. These results demonstrate that omega-3 supplements sold in Arab Gulf Countries is not being properly controlled by manufacturers or government agencies and quality testing is needed to ensure compliance.