Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil?
There is no such thing as Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil. It is a term dreamt up initially by an aggressive marketer and ‘adopted’ by others. The US Pharmacopeia does not yet have a monograph to regulate the specifications and purity of fish oil. In the absence of any strict guidelines the US Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has developed a voluntary monograph. The CRN monograph was developed taking into account various European and World Health Organization (WHO) standards. A number of responsible fish oil manufacturers worldwide are now working to this monograph by either equaling it or in some cases, even exceeding it.
Xtend-Life exceeds ALL minimum specifications
It is important to be aware that there is an official sounding organization called International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS) which a number of fish oil marketers use for testing. It is actually a private organization. IFOS will issue ‘star’ ratings for various manufacturers who are prepared to submit their products to them in order to get tested for a fee. Some manufacturers feel that if they meet the specifications of IFOS then they can call their products pharmaceutical grade fish oil because the IFOS standards are tougher for some components of the oil.
This is true for some parameters but not all. Even though they are stricter in some areas, they still do not meet Xtend-Life’s specifications.
What about the US FDA? Do they have minimum purity levels?
Yes. But their levels for mercury and oxidation are so lenient (high) that they are insignificant within the context of this discussion.
What is the level of purity for Xtend-Life Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil?
If you go to our page on Fish Oil Purity, you will see a table of values.
Can Xtend-Life’s Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil purity claims be proven?
Absolutely! We use two independent government certified laboratories for testing. All data is kept on file. The laboratory that is used depends on the test being carried out - either Cawthron Laboratories or AsureQuality Laboratories.