Texas-based Qualitas Health announced the launch of the first consumer products based upon Almega PL, marking the company’s transition from research and development into successful commercialization of the company’s premium algal omega-3 oil.

Within the past 18 months, Qualitas Health has completed all necessary stages of product development through commercialization, and these steps included research and development, performing clinical studies, protecting intellectual property, obtaining regulatory approvals, scale-up of algae growth and manufacturing, collaboration with consumer brands, logistics and sales, reported the company. Through its completion of these benchmarks, Qualitas Health has emerged as the first company manufacturing omega-3 nutrition ingredients using phototropic algae technology to successfully commercialize.

Yuri Shoshan, CEO, Qualitas Health, said making the transition from R&D to commercial scale is always a challenge and this is a first major step.

“Meeting this commercial milestone—successful commercialization—squarely places Qualitas Health as a global leader in next-generation omega-3s. We thank our team for their hard work, and our brand partners for their vote of confidence,” said Shoshan.“These first two products demonstrate the wide range of possibilities available with Almega PL, from a standalone Almega PL product with a vegetarian EPA-only offering, to blends of Almega PL with other algal ingredients to create a vegetarian and sustainable alternative to fish or krill oils. We look forward to continuing to work with dietary supplement brands to develop products with Almega PL, and expect to see several additional consumer product launches within the first half of 2015.”

Almega PL  is a vegetarian, EPA-rich, polar lipid-structured omega-3 oil, and is sourced from Nannochloropsis oculata, a non-GMO strain of microalgae selected for its high level of EPA omega-3 and unique polar-lipid structure, according to the company. Almega PL contains omega-3 fatty acids with phospholipids and glycolipids that provide superior digestibility and incorporation into tissues and membranes, and this has been demonstrated by results of published clinical studies comparing omega-3 uptake of Almega PL to krill oil. Sustainably produced, using natural sunlight, brackish water, non-arable land and low-energy processes, Almega PL originates from a farmed microalgae source of omega-3 that does not exploit the fragile marine ecosystem, reported the company.

“After many years in the algae industry, and understanding how these amazing organisms have the possibility to revolutionize the world, it is thrilling to see us meet a major commercial milestone,” said Dr. Isaac Berzin, founder and chief technology officer, Qualitas Health.

Creating omega-3s from the original marine source – algae – provides a sustainable and ‘green’ alternative for the future, according to Berzin. “Algae is one of the only solutions to meet the distinct public-health need for the health-promoting benefits of omega-3s,” he noted. “Our progress shows that in addition to the technical feasibility to grow and process algae at commercial scale, there is a giant market demand for Almega PL. We are currently developing additional algal-based nutrition ingredients — these provide sustainable health solutions for the future.”

For more information, visit www.qualitas-health.com.