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We market fish oils of pharmaceutical quality and produce these according to a strict European environmental standard. Minami uses a patented eco-friendly production method (supercritical CO2 technology) praised by renowned scientists. This enables us to obtain maximum concentrations of omega-3 and an unrivaled purity.
We use the most advanced production method to answer the high expectations of our loyal customers.
We use the most advanced production method to answer the high expectations of our loyal customers.
Minami: S.M.A.R.T. Choice!
To choose Minami is
to choose SMART
to choose SMART
Supercritical omega-3 protection
Maximum concentration
Advanced and proven formula
Refined into ultra-pureness
Technology with eco-care
The Minami Supercritical CO2 distillation process
Minami oils are produced with significantly less heat exposure in comparison with other brands.
Molecular distillation by other brands
What are the advantages of Supercritical CO2 Distillation?
Minami oils are produced using a “supercritical” CO2 distillation extraction process in contrast with other fish oils that use molecular or liquid chromatography distillation. The differences between these processes are indicated in the following diagram.
| Comparison of the extraction and purification methods for Omega-3 oils | |||
| Minami Supercritical CO2 technology | Molecular destillation | Liquid chromatography | |
|---|---|---|---|
| use of organic solvents | no | no | yes |
| risk of end product being contaminated with traces of organic solvents | no | no | yes |
| oxidative stress through high temperatures | no < 50 °C | yes 160-200 °C | no |
| risk of formation of isomers | no | yes | no |
| risk of undesired exposure to oxygen | very unlikely | unlikely | possible |
| efficient removeval of contaminants (heavy metals, pesticides, dioxins, PCBs, furans, etc.) | yes | yes | limited |
| sufficiently high separation selectivity to produce highly concentrated EPA and/or DHA | yes | no | yes |
| environmental impact | low | medium | high |
The process uses 400 percent less temperature with no oxygen exposure, which maintains omega-3 integrity so that they can provide their full health benefit. In addition this method ensures that there are no saturated fats – a far cry from the vast majority of fish oils sold worldwide that have unacceptable high levels of saturated fats that impede your body’s ability to use omega-3’s.
Under pressure and at low temperature, CO2 (Supercritical CO2) acts as a “fat-solving” solvent that pulls out the omega-3 fatty acids from the fish oil. This hexane-free extraction is innovative as it removes the 2 essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA without altering their quality and maintaining their chemical integrity as essential dietary fats in the body. These omega-3 fatty acids are then ready to be delivered to the body through supplementation and bolster health in their purest state, without pollutants.
Quality & sustainability
Minami offers you 5 strong guarantees:
- Our products offer up to 90-95% of omega-3 per softgel
- The levels of PCBs, heavy metals, pesticides and other contaminants are below the internal highly strict limits
- We produce eco-friendly certified omega-3 fish oil (EMAS certified)
- We use an eco-friendly Supercritical Purification Process (characterized by low temperature, the use neither of chemical solvents like hexane nor of saturated fat as filler.
- We offer supplements that are based on science.
The smallest possible ecological footprint
Fish species
In order to limit the impact on the environment, Minami only uses fish – such as anchovies, mackerel, sardines and herring that are recognized as not being endangered species. Cod is never used: because this fish contains only a small amount of omega-3, too many fish would have to be sacrificed to provide the omega-3 needed.
No Use of Hexane
Minami’s environmentally conscious approach avoids the use of irritant, chemical solvents like hexane. Only CO2 is used during the Supercritical CO2 Distillation process, and is recycled. (link naar What are the advantages of Supercritical CO2 Distillation?)
EMAS certified production
Minami’s supercritical omega-3 supplements are produced in a facility that has been granted EMAS status, a European standard for environmental care. EMAS or the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) guarantees that the production facility self-evaluates, monitors, reports and improves its environmental performance in a continuous way.
Fish oil is not the cause of overfishing
Approximately 1 million tons of deep sea fish are caught annually for the production of fish oil. That is barely 1 % of the total catch! Furthermore, estimates made in 2010 show that approximately 88 % of this amount is used as feed for farmed fish so that only 12 % of this original 1%, i.e. 0.12 % of the total catch is destined for fish oil in food supplements.
This is small fry knowing that scientific reports indicate that approximately 16.2 million tons of fish are sacrificed to be processed as fish meal into pig, poultry and cattle feed; 5.4 million tons of fish end up in pet food (for cats, dogs and furbearing animals); 18 million tons of fish end up in feed for farmed fish. One thing is clear: overfishing could be significantly reduced if people would eat less industrially produced meat and bought less pet food.
Sources: De Silva SS, Turchini GM. Towards understanding the impacts of the pet food industry on world fish and seafood supplies. J Agric Environ Ethics 2008; 21(5):459-467. Alder J, Campbell B, Karpouzi V, Kaschner K, Pauly D. Forage fish: from ecosystems to markets. Annu Rev Environ Resour 2008; 33:153-66. Campbell B, Alder J. Fishmeal and fish oil: production trade and consumption. 2006; p47-66 In: Alder J, Pauly D (eds.). On the multiple uses of forage fish: from ecosystems to markets. Fisheries Centre Research Reports 14(3). Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia (ISSN1198-6727).
Pharmaceutical purity
Minami’s fish oil is produced from small deep-sea fish originating from the clean waters around Peru. The smallest species of fish contain the least toxins, which is substantiated by our frequent analyses. The fish oil supplements from Minami have extremely low concentrations of contaminated substances such as PCB’s, pesticides and dioxins and heavy metals (mercury, lead and cadmium) and the oxidation level is very low. The internal standards that Minami uses exceed the commonly accepted standards of GOED and IFOS.
Dependable labelling
The concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids stated on the packaging are truthful. All Minami products undergo full and detailed analysis in order to provide you with this guarantee.
The IFOS program
The International Fish Oil Standard (IFOS) Program is a third party testing and certification program for omega-3 fish oils.
- Products are analyzed to the GOED or WHO standards for contaminants, stability and potency.
- Batch result reports are present on their website and can be downloaded.
- Testing is done on five categories thereby earning “stars”. 1 Star for Passing All CRN/WHO Testing Categories; 1 Star for Greater Than 60% Omega-3 Concentration; 1 Star for Oxidation Level Less Than 75% of CRN Standard; 1 Star for PCB Levels Less Than 50% of CRN Standard; 1 Star for Dioxin Levels Less Than 50% of WHO Standard.
Minami fish oils are tested against much larger standards and for much more contaminants than the IFOS testing program and are therefore guaranteed the highest quality available in the industry. Certificates of analysis for our Minami fish oils are available upon simple request.
Check and compare
Many people understand that fish oils offer a wide variety of health benefits. It is however important to remember that not all omega-3 supplements are created equal. Minami supplements offer very high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids so that people only have to take one capsule per day in order to enjoy the benefits. Minami was also one of the first companies to publish detailed analysis data of every batch of their products. As from January 2005 onwards every single batch of fish oil that is produced is fully analyzed. Certificates of analysis are available upon simple request.
Did you know that many brands
- Can improve the purity of their products but do not do so in order to save money?
- Use slick marketing to convey health benefits that are not supported by science?
- Offer products that have a much lower concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, which results in a higher cost per effective dosage?
What should you watch out for?
Essential information about a product can be found on the packaging.
Always check the data on the packaging. Beware of statements such as ‘1.000 mg fish oil’ which can be totally meaningless. In a lot of cases the packaging will not mention the origin nor the purity of the fish oil.
Concentration
This refers to the exact quantity of the most important omega-3 fatty acids in a capsule, i.e. the DHA and EPA concentration. A 1.000 mg fish oil capsule may only contain half that amount, or even less, in DHA and EPA, the rest consisting of, for example, vegetable oil or omega-6. It is not because a capsule weighs 1.000 mg that it actually contains 1.000 mg of pure omega-3 fatty acids. Always check the amount of DHA and EPA per capsule.
Dosage
The dosage depends on the EPA and DHA concentration. Higher concentrations of EPA or DHA require fewer capsules per day to meet your daily requirement. With some brands you require four, six, even up to ten capsules per day in order to reach the necessary daily dose of EPA or DHA.
Cost
Don’t be fooled by the cost of a pack of 30, 60 or 90 capsules. Calculate how many capsules you need to take each day and how long a package will last. Cheaper products soon become expensive if you require four or more capsules per day.
Content
Check the ingredients in each capsule. Many manufacturers use sunflower or groundnut oil, or even saturated fats or other fillers that might well be unhealthy, in addition to (small) amounts of EPA and DHA.
Impact on the environment
Choose fish or algae oil derived from non-endangered species and a product that has been purified in an environmentally friendly way. It is advisable to opt for smaller fish species (mackerel, anchovies). Tuna is an endangered species, which also contains considerable amounts of mercury and PCBs. The optimal guarantee is an EMAS certificate (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, approved by the European Parliament).
Why choose Minami?
- Minami offers omega-3 nutritional supplements in a very high concentration, with scientifically proven effects and benefits.
- Our omega-3 nutritional supplements are produced in an environmentally-friendly manner which makes them the purest on the planet.
- Minami only uses sustainably caught smaller fish species.
- When we say that our oil is ‘cool’, you can take that literally: our super-efficient and ecofriendly manufacturing process uses 75% less heat than our competitors. This process results in exceptionally pure fish oil with a very high concentration of omega-3.
- If you want to optimize your quality of life, choose Minami as your partner. Our philosophy is simple: Minami offers highly-concentrated omega-3 supplements with a scientific grounding; omega-3 fatty acids that you can use with confidence.
- The products of Minami are the result of great expertise amassed worldwide in the development of pure and high-quality dietary supplements, recognized as the 'best in the world'.
- They provide the advantages of premium essential fatty acids which are good for your heart, your brain, and your eyes.
