PRESS RELEASE

Epax to invest $35 million in Omega-3 innovation

1 October 2019

Marine oil innovator Epax is investing $35 million over the next two years to increase its capacity and boost innovation in the Omega-3 sector.

The company will expand capacity at its main production facility in Ålesund in Norway, allowing output to increase by more than 50% by 2021. Meanwhile, a new manufacturing facility nearby will provide raw materials for new and specialized marine ingredients.

The investment will also allow the implementation of groundbreaking technology to increase EPA and DHA concentration without triggering oxidation. The new distillation process will pave the way for gently processed products with concentration as high as 70% percentage by weight (compared to the current industry standard of 50wt%).

The mild nature of the next generation distillation process makes it a highly effective way to increase EPA and DHA content without creating unwanted by-products such as trans-fatty acids and polymers.

Epax, which invented the technology to concentrate fish oil as an ethyl ester in 1987, has a 180-year history of innovation. Much of the new investment will be allocated to R&D, including clinical studies on the benefits of innovative new marine ingredients in dietary supplements.

Bjørn Refsum, CEO of Epax, said: “As a leading producer of highly concentrated Omega 3, and a company with a proud history of innovation, we have a responsibility to push the limits of what is possible. This substantial investment will create new possibilities for the marine ingredients sector in terms of concentration, purity and quality. We’re particularly excited about our new distillation process, which we believe is the most effective and environmentally friendly way to achieve high levels of EPA and DHA without creating unwanted by-products and waste materials.”

Epax’s commitment to innovation has allowed it to create a range of marine oil products that offer exceptional quality, purity and organoleptic properties. At this year’s SupplySide West (17th-18th October in Las Vegas) the company will showcase products including:

EPAX 0460 TGN and EPAX 1500 TGN: High-DHA products ideal for prenatal and postnatal health, children’s health and healthy aging
EPAX 5025 TGN: A high Omega-3 product typically used in formulations targeting healthy inflammatory response and sports nutrition

All three products are certified sustainable and responsibly sourced by Friend of the Sea (FOS) and IFFO, the Marine Ingredients Organisation. They are also certified Halal.

About Epax

Part of Norwegian fishery giant Pelagia AS, Epax Norway AS is a leading manufacturer of concentrated marine oils with more than 180 years of experience in marine ingredients, supplying leading dietary supplement brands worldwide. Epax Norway AS was first to create Omega-3 high concentrates, first to convert these oils from ethyl-ester form back to triglyceride form, first to use a condition-specific approach to product development and has more than 100 independent clinical studies performed using its oils. The production facility is in Aalesund, Norway, and has, in addition to all standard manufacturing certifications/approvals, been approved by the US FDA for manufacture of Pharmaceutical Intermediates and by the Norwegian Medicines Agency (Legemiddelverket) for the production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).