International Fish Oil Standards
In this article, I will talk about the International Fish Oil Standards and how it is useful in choosing the best fish oils. Also, in one of the coming articles I list various IFOS certified fish oils and their relative merits.
During my initial stages of Fish oil research, I had no idea about the existence of any standards for Fish Oil quality. However, after doing some research, I learned about the “International Fish Oil standards", popularly known as IFOS. In this article, I will share what I learned about IFOS and how it helps you identify high quality fish oils from the market.What is International Fish Oil Standards?
IFOS is an independent company that test Fish Oils and Omega-3 products, located in Canada. They use strict verification methods to test the quality of fish oils and verify if the manufacturers claim on the quality, ingredients, contamination level, purity level etc. Manufacturers can use the certification from IFOS on their products which allow consumers to use the products with more confidence on the quality. In short, IFOS certification adds credibility to the fish oil manufacturer's claims.How do IFOS test fish oils?
Fish oil manufacturers must submit samples of fish oils from each of their batches to IFOS for certification. IFOS will test the samples in their associated labs and publish the results in their website, if the product is certified. There is no way for the consumers to know that the product batches which failed the certification. This allows manufacturers to sell batches of fish oils that failed the certification along with other batches that passed. This can be really confusing for consumers. This requires consumers to look for the IFOS certification in each bottle they purchase instead of just trusting the brand name!Requirements for using IFOS certification Mark
IFOS standards require high concentration of omega-3 along with very low level of contamination. IFOS requires that the fish oils must meet and exceed the quality and purity requirements for CRN (http://www.crnusa.org/) and WHO, along with few additional criteria. These strict requirements make IFOS the highest level of certification for fish oils.Is all IFOS certified Fish oils guaranteed to be the best?
No, not all fish oils that carry IFOS certification mark are really certified to be good. While International Fish Oil Standards certifies the purity and concentration of the fish oils, there are certain factors you must be aware that can help you make the right decision on choosing the certified pharmaceutical grade fish oils. In my next article, I will talk about cases of IFOS certified fish oils which may not necessarily meet the certification requirements.