Omega-3 fatty acids recently were named one of the most successful functional ingredients ever by Euromonitor International, Chicago. Although formulations featuring omega-3 fatty acids in foods and beverages continue to increase, the greatest obstacle for omega-3 remains the lack of consumer knowledge about the essential fatty acids, the research firm stated in a May report.
Globally, the volume consumption of omega-3 posted a 50 percent increase between 2004 and 2009, according to data from Euromonitor’s ingredients database. Omega-3 inclusion also posted a 10 percent gain in 2009 to 13,218 tons of omega-3 ingredients used globally, it said. North America represents 20 percent of the global market. Euromonitor predicts the U.S. market will continue to rise by a projected 43 percent growth figure through 2014.