Agrifood giant Cargill and seed biotech firm BASF Plant Science plan to work jointly toward a "next-generation" genetically modified canola oil with boosted levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Minneapolis-based Cargill and Germany’s BASF say their multi-year development and commercialization deal brings "complementary competencies" to the table to co-develop a new dietary source of EPA/DHA-rich polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Those competencies, the companies said Wednesday, include Cargill’s "food applications capabilities and existing commercial relationships with major food manufacturers" and BASF’s "expertise in genetically enhancing EPA/DHA levels in canola seed oil and deregulating it for use in food products."
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The two companies expect the new canola oil to allow food, drug and supplement makers to "deliver the potential health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in a wide variety of new, cost-effective consumer products available by the end of the decade."
The products generated through the deal are expected to address "two key issues" for companies that aim to broadly deliver omega-3s to consumers: shelf stability and cost.
"By addressing stability and cost, we are confident that EPA/DHA canola oil will be embraced by food, pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement manufacturers globally," Cargill Specialty Canola Oils president Jenny Verner said in the two firms’ joint release Wednesday.
BASF Plant Science said it foresees a total investment of more than US$208 million over the life of the agreement.
Cargill and BASF cited recent market research as showing the global market for foods, beverages and supplements incorporating omega-3s was worth almost US$7.5 billion in 2010 and is forecast to grow 15 to 20 per cent per year through 2015.
A "growing body of scientific evidence" links dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids with benefits for heart and brain health, the two companies said, citing the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey as showing EPA/DHA consumption in that country today is less than 185 milligrams per day on average.
Health experts in various countries recommend intake of 250 to 500 mg per day for positive health benefits from EPA/DHA, the companies said.
