Omega-3 fats.: good for young and old. Are they really? Yes, they really are. That is why the legal basis for follow-on milk products has been changed in this respect: The addition of omega-3 fats has been mandatory for infant formula and follow-on milks since 22 February 2020.
DHA is an important nutrient. It is naturally present in breast milk, but for follow-on milks we rely on other (additional) sources: Fish oil or algae oil. You can find out why our products contain algae oil and not fish oil in this newsletter. But first: Why is DHA so important? And what is DHA anyway?
What is DHA?
There are good fats and bad fats. Although it is often said that you should eat less fat, fat is part of a balanced diet - even for babies and small children. Omega-3 fats are the so-called good fats: they are polyunsaturated fatty acids. There are different types of omega-3 fatty acids, the best known of which are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). So DHA is an omega-3 fat, and not just any fat. DHA is special: it is a long-chain omega-3 fat.
What is DHA actually good for?
Breast milk is naturally rich in fat: it provides lots of energy and important building blocks for your baby's growth and development. Breast milk also contains a small but not insignificant amount of DHA. DHA is very important for the proper and healthy development of your baby, both in the womb and in the first year of life. Especially the brain and the eyes (the retina) need a lot of DHA. We want your child to develop these well.
DHA from algae
DHA is extracted from microalgae. These are tiny organisms that you can only see with the help of a microscope. But you shouldn't underestimate these little creatures: Microalgae produce about half of the oxygen present in the atmosphere!
With a little light and nutrients, the algae grow well in the (sea) water, where they are eaten by plankton, which in turn are eaten by sardines, which in turn are eaten by larger fish such as tuna. Fish do not produce DHA themselves, but receive it (indirectly) from algae.
Microalgae are therefore at the beginning of the food chain and make life in oceans, seas and lakes possible.
Pure Goat uses algae oil
DHA can be obtained either from algae or from fish in the form of algae oil or fish oil.
We as a manufacturer obtain the DHA we need for our products from farmed algae. The production has no negative impact on the ecosystem. The algae oil that we use for our follow-on milk products is produced completely detached from the ecosystem: Hands off the fish and our oceans. We think that's goater.
