Group Suing Fish Oil Industry Over PCBs

Group Suing Fish Oil Industry Over PCBs
Vitamin Company GNC Says Products Safe

BOSTON -- A popular diet supplement may contain cancer-causing chemicals.

A California-based environmental group has filed a lawsuit against the billion-dollar fish oil industry.

The suit claims that many of the supplements contain PCB's, a cancer-causing chemical banned in the 1970s but still found in the environment.

The supplements contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which are linked to aiding in the treatment of heart disease and depression.

More:
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/22725308/detail.html

PCBs are bad actors. Be careful.

Cosco's fish oil is certified for purity.

Watch out for the products named below also.

Sid

I have to buy more fish oil supplements this week and this came in very handy.

This is a table prepared by the EDF that will come in handy when choosing which brand(s) are best.

http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=16536


Link to Fishoilsafety.com that has some useful info. also.

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6491/p/salsa/web/common/public/index.sjs

I eat no fish, seafood or product that contain any of them. :hi:

What are the amounts of PCB's we're talking about here? Surely there is a level at which the exposure is insignificant, especially for a middle-aged person like myself who is no longer part of the breeding population.

If we're talking about an amount that might give you cancer in fifty years, then no 20 year old should take it, but that's not such a worry for me at 54.

sounds like a hit job...who is funding this so-called environmental group? :eyes:

Here's real information I ripped off of another blog:

http://www.bigdogsporch.com/archive/index.php/t-22369.html

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Our Work (http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=51528) » Oceans (http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=79) » Seafood Selector (http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1521) » Fish Oil Supplements
Fish Oil Supplements


Is The Brand You're Taking Safe?

The public is increasingly turning to fish oil supplements as a source of omega-3 fatty acids. But which major U.S. producers of fish oil supplements purify their products to reduce or remove contaminants like mercury and dioxins?

Environmental Defense Fund solicited information from 75 companies (more details (http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=19376) on the criteria we used to evaluate companies and our results). Their responses indicate that the majority are purifying their fish oils to meet stringent safety standards.

Legend
Best Choice: Conforms to strictest standards for safe levels of contaminants.
Incomplete: Responded but did not submit complete data.
Worst Choice: Does not conform to strictest standards for safe levels of contaminants or did not respond to repeated inquiries.


Sort by company (http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=16536&sort=company)
Products
Sort by Rating (http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=16536&sort=rating)

A&P
Health Pride
Best Choice

Active Nutrition
Fish Oil
Best Choice

Albertsons
Nature's Valley, Sav-On/Albertsons
Best Choice

American Health
Cardiosmart
Best Choice

American Health
Salmon Oil
Incomplete

Ascenta Health
NutraSea
Best Choice

Bi-Mart
Bi-Mart
Best Choice

California Health
Omega 3-6-9
Best Choice

Cardiotabs
Omega-3
Best Choice

Carlson Laboratories
Cod Liver Oil softgels, Salmon Oil, Very Finest Fish Oil
Best Choice

Carlson Laboratories
Cod Liver Oil liquid
Best Choice

Coromega
Omega-3 Supplement
Best Choice

Costco
Kirkland
Best Choice

Country Life
Omega-3
Incomplete

CVS
CVS Pharmacy
Best Choice

Duane Reade
Cod Liver Oil, EPA, Fish Oil
Best Choice

Eckerd
Eckerd
Best Choice

ehn
o3mega
Best Choice

Enzymatic Therapy
Eskimo-3
Best Choice

Giant Eagle
Cod Liver Oil, Fish Oil
Best Choice

GNC
Cod Liver Oil, DHA 250, Omega Complex
Best Choice

GNC
Fish Body Oils with GLA, Liquid Norwegian Cod Liver Oil, Salmon Oil 1000, Triple Cod Liver Oil
Incomplete

Good 'N Natural
Cod Liver Oil, EPA, Essential Oils, Fish Oil, Omega-3
Best Choice

Good 'N Natural
Salmon Oil
Incomplete

Health from the Sun
PFO Pure Fish Oil, Ultra Potent EPA, Ultra Potent DHA
Best Choice

Health from the Sun
Cod Liver Oil
Incomplete

Holland & Barrett
Cod Liver Oil, EPA, Essential Oils, Fish Oil, Halibut Liver Oil
Best Choice

Holland & Barrett
Salmon Oil, Super EPA, Super Omega
Incomplete

Iceland Health
Cod Liver Oil, Omega-3 Fish Oil, Shark Liver Oil
Best Choice

Jarrow Formulas
Max DHA softgels, Max DHA liquid,'EPA-DHA Balance
Best Choice

Kmart
Kmart
Worst Choice

Kroger/Ralphs
Kroger
Best Choice

Leiner Health Products
Your Life
Best Choice

Longs
Fish Oil Concentrate
Best Choice

Major Pharmaceuticals
Cod Liver Oil, Omega-3
Best Choice

Major Pharmaceuticals
Fish Oil
Incomplete

McKesson Drugs
Sunmark
Best Choice

Meijer
Meijer
Best Choice

Natrol
Omega-3
Best Choice

Natural Factors
RxOmega-3 Factors
Best Choice

Natural Wealth
Cod Liver Oil, EPA, Fish Oil, Omega-3
Best Choice

Natural Wealth
Salmon Oil
Incomplete

Naturalist
Fish Oil
Best Choice

Nature Made/Pharmavite
Fish Oil
Best Choice

Nature's Bounty
Cod Liver Oil, DHA, EPA, Fish Oil, Omega-3
Best Choice

Nature's Bounty
Salmon Oil
Incomplete

Nordic Naturals
Children's DHA, Omega-3, Complete, Omega 3,6,9 Junior, Ultimate Omega, Omega Woman, Cod Liver Oil, EPA, DHA
Best Choice

NOW Foods
Cod Liver Oil (liquid), Omega-3 (liquid)
Best Choice

NOW Foods
Omega-3 (capsules), Ultra Omega-3, Super EPA, DHA 500, Double Strength Cod Liver Oil, Salmon Oil, Shark Liver Oil
Incomplete

Nutrilite
Omega-3 Complex
Best Choice

Nutrition Warehouse
EPA, Fish Oil, Omega-3
Best Choice

Nutrition Warehouse
Salmon Oil
Incomplete

NuTru**
O-Mega-Zen3
Best Choice

Ocean Nutrition
MEG-3
Best Choice

Omega Protein *
Omega Pure*
Worst Choice

Pharmanex
Lifepak nano, MarineOmega, Optimum Omega
Best Choice

Physiologics
Cardiologic, Cartilage Companion, EFA Complex, Omega-3, Triple Omega
Best Choice

Physiologics
Omega-3 HP
Incomplete

PhytoPharmica
Eskimo-3
Best Choice

Prevail
Eskimo-3
Best Choice

Price Chopper
Cod Liver Oil, Fish Oil
Best Choice

Progressive
Hannford
Best Choice

Pronova Biocare
EPAX
Best Choice

Pure Alaska Salmon
Alaskan Salmon Oil***
Best Choice

PureTek
Cod Liver Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Incomplete

Puritan's Pride
Cod Liver Oil, DHA, EPA, Fish Oil, Halibut Liver Oil, Heart Assure, Joint Maintenance, Omega-3, Shark Liver Oil, Triple Omega
Best Choice

Puritan's Pride
Salmon Oil, Super EPA, Super Omega
Incomplete

Quixtar
Ocean Essentials
Best Choice

Radiance
Cod Liver Oil, EPA, Fish Oil, Omega-3
Best Choice

Radiance
Salmon Oil
Incomplete

Rexall Sundown
EPA/DHA, Fish Oil, Essential Oils/EFA
Best Choice

Rexall Sundown
Salmon Oil
Incomplete

Rite Aid
Cod Liver Oil, Fish Oil, Natural Fish Oil
Worst Choice

Safeway
Safeway Select
Best Choice

Sam's Club
Member’s Mark
Best Choice

Shaklee
Essential Omega-3 Complex
Best Choice

Shopko/Topco
Top Care
Best Choice

Shoprite
Cod Liver Oil, Fish Oil
Best Choice

Solaray
Salmon Oil, Super purEPA
Worst Choice

Solgar
Max EPA, Omega-3 "700", Norwegian Cod Liver Oil, Shark Liver Oil Complex
Incomplete

Sonne's Organic Foods
Cod Liver Oil
Incomplete

Source Naturals
ArcticPure EFA, ArcticPure EPA, ArcticPure DHA
Best Choice

Spectrum Organics
Norwegian Fish Oil, Cod Liver Oil
Best Choice

Springreen
Cod Liver Oil
Incomplete

Target
Cod Liver Oil, EPA, Fish Oil, Omega-3
Best Choice

Target
Salmon Oil, Extra Strength Fish Oil
Incomplete

The Vitamin Shoppe
Omega-3 Fish Oil
Best Choice

The Vitamin Shoppe
EPA-DHA
Incomplete

Tyler
Eskimo-3
Best Choice

USANA Health Sciences
BiOmega-3
Best Choice

V.E. Irons
Cod Liver Oil
Incomplete

Vitamin World
Cod Liver Oil, DHA, EPA, Essential Oils, Fish Oil, Heart Essentials Improved, Joint Maintenance, Omega-3, Shark Liver Oil, Triple Omega, Women's Cardiosmart
Best Choice

Vitamin World
Salmon Oil, Super EPA, Super Omega
Incomplete

Wal-Mart
Spring Valley
Best Choice

Walgreens
Fish Oil
Best Choice

Wegmans
Wegmans
Best Choice

Xymogen
Omega Pure, Essential Oils/EFA
Best Choice

ZonePerfect
Molecular Distilled Fish Oil
Best Choice

Note: The strictest standards are those set by the EPA and the state of California (Proposition 65). The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a dietary supplement trade association, established voluntary standards equal

on one of the websites, but here's the question:

What amounts do the "bad" brands contain, and what's the amount that is considered harmful, for a mid-50's person?

I wasn't really asking for a list of what to buy and what not to buy, I was asking what the real scope of the problem is.

from the Council For Responsible Nutrition

link:
http://www.crnusa.org/CRNPR10CRNNoSafetyIssueswFishOil030210.html


"CRN believes the suit was filed in California in order to take advantage of a state law, Prop 65, which has conservative standards that are not law in the rest of the nation. Further, the information disclosed during the press conference danced around the details, offering a lack of specificity to the general public about the levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds found in the fish oil products that were tested. Though the lawyers suggest that the levels of PCBs found in these products far exceed what is acceptable by Prop 65 standards, the actual levels of PCBs found in the majority of these products do not appear to exceed the Prop 65 limit (90 ng/day). Furthermore, they fail to mention that the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) tolerance level for PCBs in fish (2,000 parts per billion) far exceeds the levels of PCBs found in fish oil.

It is important to put this into context. PCBs are ubiquitous within the environment, which means that all fish—whether fish found in oceans and rivers or fish oil supplements—contain at least trace amounts of PCBs. In fact, conventional food forms of fish contain higher levels of PCBs than fish oil supplements in part because supplement fish oil products go through a refining process which reduces PCBs and other contaminants. The FDA has established a tolerance level for PCBs in fish, which is 2.0 parts per million (ppm, also expressed as mg/kg) or 2,000 parts per billion; in comparison, the Prop 65 daily limit for PCBs for a cancer warning is 90 ng/day, which is significantly lower than what FDA deems safe. The lawyers are using California’s Prop 65 statute to bring attention to their case by attempting to frame this as a public health concern, when in reality, fish oil has enjoyed decades of safe use."

flax see oil combined with evening primrose oil. All the EFA's without the worry associated with fish oil.

with flax oil, it must be converted by the body...some people are not able to convert it.

i buy cvs brand. one site approves it but the op article condemns it. so what do we believe?

btw, i don't remember exactly how but i have read that flax seed oil and fish oil differ. i don't think the flaxseed oil has the cholesterol benefit that fish oil is supposed to (although you cannot tell by MY cholesterol numbers.).

ellen fl

they basically force companies into settling....probably where this group gets it's funding...:eyes:

wouldn't ever step foot in a GNC...don't trust the quality. :eyes:

Laboratory tested to meet strict quality control standards for potency, purity and disintegration.

It also says mercury free.

were done with contaminated products?

If *no* levels of PCB's are acceptable, according to scientists - per the article - then no one should be eating fish. That's how ridiculous this whole thing is.

http://www.thefishoilzone.com/fishoilpurity.htm


http://www.trilogyonline.com/Trilogy/IFOS/SealogixIFOSBatch092836.pdf


Why Quality and Fish Oil Purity Matter

At Trilogy, we set a higher standard for fish oil purity for all of our Sealogix products. We source our Omega-3's from fish located in some of the cleanest waters in the world from fisheries that are renewable and fully-sustainable. The fish oil is then molecularly distilled to concentrate and purify the oil, removing the contaminants. The ensures the purity of fish oil.

Manufacturers of fish oil are required to test each batch they produce; however, in many cases, this testing is handled by the manufacturers themselves. Often testing is conducted prior to adding flavors and bottling, so the fish oil that is tested in-house may not necessarily be the same quality of fish oil delivered to the marketplace.

In addition to the standard manufacturer testing for every batch, we have enlisted the help of IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards), a non-affiliated third party and the internationally-respected source for fish oil analysis. IFOS scientifically tests and analyzes Sealogix. This validation testing ensures that you are getting a safe and effective fish oil supplement that you can feel confident about the purity of fish oil that you are giving to your family.

IFOS Testing
There are three internationally-accepted standards for testingTrilogy's IFOS report on the quality test of Sealogix's fish oil purity and quality. purity of fish oil and quality:

1. CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition)
2. WHO (World Health Organization)
3. IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards)

The IFOS standards includes all the tests required by the CRN and WHO; however, IFOS imposes more stringent requirements for passing some of these tests. Furthermore, the IFOS standards also include additional tests not required by the CRN and WHO. We believe this makes the IFOS standard the most comprehensive measurement in the fish oil industry for quality and purity of fish oil. The highest rating that can be attained from IFOS is a 5-Star Rating. We are proud to announce that Sealogix has been awarded an IFOS 5-Star Rating for quality, concentration and purity.