Levels of Omega 3 fatty acids in Australian seafood

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the quantity of omega 3 (n-3) fatty acids in commonly consumed species of South Australian fish. Omega 3 fatty acids ranged from 17.7% to 53.7% of total fat with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) as the major omega 3 fatty acid in all 26 species tested (range 9.5 % to 47.1% of total fat). The levels of total omega 6 (n-6) fatty acids ranged from 2.3% to 20.2% of total lipids, chiefly as arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6). Fatty fish such as Gemfish, Atlantic Salmon and Swordfish were found to be good sources of omega-3 fatty acid (1360, 2252 and 2571 mg/100g fish respectively), while low fat fish such as Ling, Deep Sea Bream (Blue Warhou) and Blue Grenadier (0.5, 0.7 and 0.7% fat) had low levels of omega 3 fatty acid (222, 257 and 247 mg/100g). Because most white table fish consumed by Australians are so low in fat they are actually a limited source of omega 3 fats. The amount of fish required to be consumed to provide 1 g of omega 3 fatty acid per day ranged from 40 to 450 g.