We love fish oils. Omega 3 fatty acids have some incredibly strong health benefits and we believe everyone can benefit from increasing their intake of Omega 3s. So, it is very troubling to learn that a number of Omega 3 Fish Oil supplements have been found to have carcinogenic chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.
PCBs, Fish Oil, California… Smells like a Lawsuit!
Yes, last week a lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco. The lawsuit targets eight supplement manufacturers or distributors – CVS Pharmacy, Rite Aid, General Nutrition Corp., Solgar, Twinlab, Now Health, Omega Protein and Pharmavite – for alleged violations of California’s Proposition 65, which requires that consumers be warned about chemical exposures.
The plaintiffs claim that their initial testing found that levels of PCBs in supplements in popular fish oil products varied wildly, from about 12 nanograms per recommended dose in to more than 850 nanograms. They claim that Proposition 65 requires disclosure of all non-zero PCB levels, so they are all in violation of the law.
Is this Really a Big Deal?
Yes – in a number of different ways! First, Omega Protein – named in the lawsuit – is the world’s largest producer of fish oil, so this effects a huge amount of products. Second, it really brings to the forefront one of the big secrets about the supplement industry – labels do not show exactly what is in the supplement!
You can make the argument that 12 nanograms of PCB is not harmful and the benefits of Omega 3s outweigh the dangers of 12 nanograms of PCB – but this misses the bigger point. The issue is, should consumers know exactly what they are putting into their body. We firmly believe consumers should know exactly what is in their supplements and then they can make their own choices based on the facts.
Omega Protein Has Many Issues With the Lawsuit
Not surprisingly, Omega Protein disagrees with the allegations in the lawsuit. You can read their Press Release -
Omega Protein Comments on Lawsuit
There are very valid points about how you test for PCB and exactly what Prop 65 requires. In addition, a number of independent groups have stepped forward to say that their testing shows that fish oil supplements are completely safe and free of contaminants.
Fish Oil is too important of a supplement to see washed away with a lawsuit. Our hope is that this lawsuit puts the spotlight on testing and labeling requirements more than on the safety of fish oil. Anything that makes supplement labels more open and honest is a major step in the right direction.
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