Prairie Orchard Farms to branch into omega-3 chickens

By Clarisse Douaud

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Omega-3 fatty acids Meat

A Canadian meat producer is trying to yoke together omega-3 fatty
acids to add to chicken in a way that will boost the meat's
functional value without affecting taste, as the company strives to
label its products accordingly.

Prairie Orchard Farms is a Winnipeg-owned and operated company that has been working with Focus Feeds to identify poultry feed combinations that add healthy fatty acids to chicken meat. The expression “the chicken comes before the egg†is not true in this case, as omega-3 eggs have become mainstream fare before the appearance of any omega-3 chicken meat. Prairie Orchard said it is looking for labeling permission in both Canada and the United States for this type of poultry meat. The producer said it was the first in Canada and the US to produce omega-3/selenium enriched pork products and it received approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to label these meats as sources of omega-3 fatty acids. However in 2005 Canadian company Végélip said that it had developed the technology to replace animal-derived trans and saturated fats in a wide range of products with a gel made from healthy oils like canola, flax, fish or marine oils, leading to the launch of an omega-3 hamburger. While an FDA-approved heart health claim exists in the US, Canada does not have any approved structure-function type claims for the lipid ingredient. Prairie Orchard claims that on a flax-enriched diet, poultry is “sufficiently†enriched with omega-3. It said these fatty acids are then built up in the body fat and, once present, play a cyclical role in growth and energy. The producer recently obtained approval from CFIA and USDA to label its pork products as being a source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Related topics Ingredients

Related news

Related products

show more

Unlock the business potential of the protein trend

Unlock the business potential of the protein trend

Content provided by Valio | 08-Feb-2024 | White Paper

Read our white paper to learn how to overcome taste and texture challenges in protein products — and how to commercialise the protein trend by making delicious...

Custom Microbiome Solutions for Dairy & Alt-Dairy Products

Custom Microbiome Solutions for Dairy & Alt-Dairy Products

Content provided by ADM: Innovation that Feeds the Future | 13-Oct-2023 | White Paper

Backed by clinical studies and perfect for use in dairy and alt-dairy applications alike, ADM’s Active Lifestyle probiotic blend, BPL1™ probiotic, and...

Consumers Want Dairy—and More!

Consumers Want Dairy—and More!

Content provided by ADM: Innovation that Feeds the Future | 06-Oct-2023 | White Paper

In the thriving dairy industry, you’re well aware of the surging demand for both dairy and non-dairy products.

Related suppliers

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars