Omega Nutrition
Vancouver, BC
Since 1987 Omega nutrition has been making superior unrefined oils using the omegaflo process, which protects unrefined oils from excessive heat, light and oxygen during processing and bottling. It all began with a vision to produce the best unrefined, organic flaxseed oil possible. Omega Nutrition was the first company to bring this superior oil to the North American market.
Omega Nutrition begins with only the finest certified organic seeds and nuts that they prepare in small batches to retain flavour, freshness and nutrients. Commercial oils are refined in huge volumes at high heats often using chemical solvents and bleaches to extract the oil from the source. Omega has developed the omegaflo process which protects the essential fatty acids (EFAs) naturally present in nuts and seeds from destructive agents such as heat, light and oxygen. EFAs are easily incorporated into the walls and the mitochondria of human cells. When subjected to hydrogenation or high heat these cells turn into trans-fatty acids which weaken the cell walls, leaving the cell vulnerable to invasion. Omega processes their oils at a heat of 30 to 33 degrees Celsius wheres as refined oils are processed at 230 degrees Celsius. Even expeller-pressed oils produced specifically for the health food market are generally processed at a heat of 82 degrees Celsius. The exceptionally low heat at which Omega oils are processed makes them far superior in EFA content.
Omega has also extensively researched the packaging of their oils and has determined that black high-density polyethylene plastic (HDPE) is the best material available to protect unrefined essential oils from heat, light and oxidation. It is also lightweight, unbreakable and recyclable. Most oils are packaged in transparent glass bottles which allows light to pass through to the oils. Light causes the oil to become rancid more quickly and it also causes the molecular structure of the EFAs to mutate in the same way that heat does. Omega uses black plastic to prevent any light from passing through to the oil. This protects the EFAs and the photosensitive chlorophyll present in unrefined oils. Although metal containers do not let light pass through Omega researchers found that metal ions catalyze reactions that degrade polyunsaturated oil making metal unsuitable for unrefined oil packaging.
The HDPE plastic used by Omega does not contain any of the chemicals such as nonylphenol or bisphenol-A that have been linked to hormone disruption in animals and humans. HDPE does not migrate in to food, it has superior repellent qualities and it is a superlative oxygen barrier for the protection of edible oils. It is also the cleanest, most easily recyclable plastic available. Plastic is 13 times lighter than glass making it far less costly to transport both economically and environmentally.
Omega Nutrition is a forerunner in essential fatty acid nutrition and they are proud to be recognized for their innovative techniques in processing and packaging unrefined oils.
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