Elsevier, Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, 1(11), p. 1-12, 2010
DOI: 10.1016/j.ifset.2009.10.006
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Recent developments on the production of omega-3 fatty acid concentrates have been reviewed with an emphasis on the scientific articles published from 2000. At first, a description of the role of essential fatty acids in the organism and the influence of omega-3 fatty acids in human health is presented. An account of the review articles that have been published in previous years related to the production or isolation of omega-3 fatty acids is then provided. The publications that have appeared over the last 8 years have been reviewed under two groupings, one involving the production of omega-3 from fish, and the other involving the isolation from alternative sources. Fish is the major source of omega-3 fatty acids and the fish oil extraction processes have been considered firstly, then the fish oil refining processes are presented and finally the omega-3 concentration from fish oil. Some considerations on the stability of polyunsaturated fatty acids against hydrolysis and oxidation and the procedures to avoid it are also presented at the end of this review.