Is your omega-3 supplement toxic?

Despite decades of research into the cognitive and cardiovascular health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils, it is only recently that most consumers have become aware of the benefits of omega-3 supplementation.
By Yvan Bourgault
3 min read
Votre supplément d’oméga-3 est-il toxique?

Despite decades of research on the cognitive and cardiovascular health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils, it is only recently that most consumers have become aware of the benefits of omega-3 supplementation.

As fish and fish oil consumption for their omega-3 content has increased, consumers have also become aware of potential safety concerns associated with fish. Fish from our seas and oceans are exposed to artificial and natural contaminants present in the water and in their diet, which we in turn ingest when consuming seafood.

There is an advantage to taking fish oil supplements over consuming fresh or canned fish. Fish oils, whether from the body or liver of the fish, can be purified. Processes such as filtration and molecular distillation help remove contaminants. However, control testing to confirm the safety of fish oils is as important as the purification itself.

An evaluation service to confirm the quality of fish oil supplements was established in Guelph, Ontario. The International Fish Oil Standards, or IFOS, offers an independent evaluation system for fish oil supplements and publishes detailed results on its publicly accessible website, ifosprogram.com. In addition, IFOS assesses the quality of fish oil supplements using a 5-star rating system: 5 stars = exceptional quality oil, 1 star = poor quality oil.

The 5 categories are defined as follows:

1 star –

The product passes all fish oil tests by the CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition) and the WHO (World Health Organization).


2 stars –

Tests show that the product's EPA and DHA claims are truthful (or the product contains more than 60% combined EPA and DHA in concentrated fish oils).


3 stars –

The oxidation rate is less than 75% compared to the standard rate established by the CRN.


4 stars –

The PCB level is less than 50% compared to the standard rate established by the CRN.


5 stars –

Dioxin and furan levels are less than 50% compared to the standard rate established by the WHO.

These categories serve to confirm three important aspects of fish oil quality.

  1. Safety:

    As the environment and oceans become increasingly polluted, the fish we consume are at risk of containing harmful contaminants such as heavy metals, mercury, lead, furans, dioxins, and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). IFOS analyses go beyond governmental standards to assess the safety of fish oil products with respect to these harmful substances.
  2. Omega-3 content:
What matters is not the amount of fish oil in a supplement, but its omega-3 content. Check product labels for their actual omega-3 content. The oils should primarily contain EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), the two most important types of omega-3. Concentrated forms of fish oil can contain more than 400 mg of EPA and more than 200 mg of DHA per capsule. The IFOS control system ensures that product label claims are truthful.
3. Freshness:
In addition to checking for environmental contaminants, IFOS confirms product freshness. It is important to consume fresh fish oil as there is a risk of becoming ill from ingesting rancid, highly oxidized oil. IFOS evaluates the oxidation rate of products to determine if they are fresh or rancid.

The best way to learn more about the safety, potency, and freshness of your preferred fish oil supplement is to check its rating on the IFOS website at ifosprogram.com, under the “Consumer Reports” tab. There you will find the test results for fish oil brands from around the world that have submitted their products to the independent and rigorous IFOS control system.

It's good to know that the fish oil supplement we take daily is a safe, potent, and fresh product. The IFOS confirmation analysis offers you this peace of mind.

All batches of Health First Omega First supplements are tested by IFOS and consistently receive a 5-star rating.

Are you sensitive to fish oil?


For individuals highly sensitive to fish oil supplements, Health First also offers an enteric-coated softgel. These Health First Omega First Enteric softgels are coated to pass through the acidic pH of the stomach without breaking down. This allows the softgel to pass into the intestine where it rapidly breaks down in the more alkaline pH of the intestine, thus avoiding reflux problems experienced by some people who consume fish oil softgels that break down in the stomach.