I don't recall which forum this was in- but there were cost lists of for different fish oils going around. One brand that many were looking at was the RXOmega by Natural Factors. I recall that others had confirmed that it passed the first two tests to be considered as PG: 1. Concentration of EPA and DHA > 60% 2. Concentration of PCB?s < 10 ppb/g Others said it passed the freezer test. However- I don't think we ever knew what the EPA/AA ratio was (although I believe there was speculation based on the types of fish used) I asked Natural Factors to answer all three questions and they have confirmed that it does indeed pass the EPA/AA ration test too (they claim > 50:1). Therefore- it seems that it should put on the confirmed list of PGFO. I recall others had switched to it and found no less of a result. One thing to double check is the amount of Vitamin E- but I thought I recall it was ok too. Below are my original email request to Natural Factors and then their response to it. ORIGINAL QUESTION: I have a technical question regarding your RXOmega 3 product. You may have had this question from others who follow the recommendations in the Omega Zone book by Dr. Barry Sears. In this book he states that in order take high amounts of fish oil, it should have the following characteristics: 1. Concentration of EPA and DHA > 60% 2. Ratio of EPA/AA > 25:1 (AA is Arachidonic Acid) 3. Concentration of PCB?s < 10 ppb/g As your product is very affordable- there are many people who would love to use your product if we could get the information you have on your product regarding criteria 2 and 3. Thank you RESPONSE: Dear Marc, Thank you for your inquiry regarding Natural Factors RxOmega-3, we appreciate you taking the time to contact us. At Natural Factors we are committed to providing the highest quality products to our customers and enhancing their health. All of our products undergo rigorous testing at all levels of the production process in accordance with United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) guidelines. The Health Protection Branch (HPB) of Health Canada also regulates our testing procedures. Products must meet these high standards, and meet or exceed label claims before being released for sale. We forwarded your question regarding processing of the fish oil to our Quality Control Department, who investigated and advise as follows. The oil is tested using the standards and methods outlined in the CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition October 2002) Voluntary Monograph. PCB's (NMT {not more than} 0.09 ppm) Arsenic (NMT 0.1 ppm) Lead (NMT 0.1 ppm) Cadmium (NMT 0.1 ppm) Mercury (NMT 0.01 ppm) Our Product Manual contains the following information: The ability to produce a highly concentrated form of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that is free from lipid peroxides, heavy metals, environmental contaminants, and other harmful compounds. These "pharmaceutical grade" marine lipid concentrates are so superior to earlier fish oil products that they are literally revolutionizing nutritional medicine. RxOmega-3 Factors from Natural Factors is an example of this revolutionary new source of long-chain fatty acids. The key features of this product over regular fish oil products include: More than twice the level of EPA and DHA per capsule than any other brand. Each capsule provides 600 mg of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (400 mg EPA/200 mg DHA)* Quality control steps to insure the product is free from lipid peroxides, heavy metals, environmental contaminants, and other harmful compounds. Ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to arachidonic acid > 50:1 Contains the optimal amount of natural vitamin E as a preservative. *The 2:1 ratio of EPA and DHA in RxOmega-3 Factors has been the dominant ratio in most of the scientific studies conducted with pharmaceutical-grade fish oil products that reported clinical benefits. We hope that you have found this information helpful in answering your questions. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to write. Thank you again for your interest in Natural Factors products, Customer Service

[quote:cab4addc96="stonehousemc"]I don't recall which forum this was in- but there were cost lists of for different fish oils going around. One brand that many were looking at was the RXOmega by Natural Factors. I recall that others had confirmed that it passed the first two tests to be considered as PG: 1. Concentration of EPA and DHA > 60% 2. Concentration of PCB?s < 10 ppb/g Others said it passed the freezer test. However- I don't think we ever knew what the EPA/AA ratio was (although I believe there was speculation based on the types of fish used) I asked Natural Factors to answer all three questions and they have confirmed that it does indeed pass the EPA/AA ration test too (they claim > 50:1). Therefore- it seems that it should put on the confirmed list of PGFO. I recall others had switched to it and found no less of a result. One thing to double check is the amount of Vitamin E- but I thought I recall it was ok too. [/quote:cab4addc96] I, too, had asked them for the infomation about a month, ago, and I posted it in the old forums. In addition: Summary of High Quality (Pharmaceutical Grade) Fish Oil In my research , I found that there were only a few sources of High Quality (Pharmaceutical Grade) Fish Oil (Omega-3's) (And with the proper ratio of EPA:DHA). There may be others's, these are just what I found: The following: Dr. Sears (Sears Labs) PGFO Nature's Mighty Bites Fish oil Liquid Omega Brite (Gel Caps) (also recommended by Sears Labs) Dr. Murray's Natural Factors RX Omega 3 I received information for Natural Factors that their PGFO meets and exceeds the standards for PCB, Mercury, Lead, & Arsenic. There is also an independent website that has analyzed both Sears Labs and Natures Mighty Bites: http://www.nutrasource.ca" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.nutrasource.ca Here's what I found the relative costs to be: Sears labs Liquid = ~ $1.737 per day per person Sears Labs Capsules = ~ $1.67 per day per person Natural Factors = ~ $0.5415 per day per person Natures MB = ~ $0.597 per day per person Omega Brite = ~ $1.33 per day per person Sears Labs Liquid 45 tsp with 1 tsp per day = 1800 EPA / 900 DHA Sears Labs 120 capsules with 4 per day = 1600 EPA / 800 DHA Natural Factors 120 capsules with 4 per day = 1600 EPA / 800 DHA Natures Mighty Bites comes in a 72 TBL liquid with 1 tsp per day = 1500 EPA / 760 DHA Omega Brite 60 Gel Caps per box with 4 per day = 1500 EPA / 220 DHA In my opinion Omega Brite is too low in DHA. We use Natural Factors capsules, the best $ value. OR Natures Mighty Bites, which was independantly tested at http://www.nutrasource.ca" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.nutrasource.ca [b:cab4addc96]They are all about similar, here's the contaminent levels/numbers for Natural Factors: Natural Factors: PCB < .09 ppm, arsenic <.1 ppm, lead < .1 ppm, Mercury < .01 ppm[/b:cab4addc96] Natural Factors is available from iHerb.com. Natures Mighty Bites from http://www.naturesmightybitesstore.org/ ............................................. ~ John ~

Yes- and THANKS!, I had actaully printed out your message and went ahead and ordered some based on it. I really appreciated that information as it makes it affordable for my wife and I to take the recommended amount for us 5 g/day EACH. That would be about $200/month for both of use. Now it will be about $75/month. However- the one piece of information that I had never seen was if the EPA/AA ratio was > 25. I only recall a message speculating this amount based on the types of fish. I just wated to make sure this piece of infomation was out there too. If it was and I missed it- I'm sorry. Thanks again

<<Sears labs Liquid = ~ $1.737 per day per person Sears Labs Capsules = ~ $1.67 per day per person Natural Factors = ~ $0.5415 per day per person Natures MB = ~ $0.597 per day per person Omega Brite = ~ $1.33 per day per person Sears Labs Liquid 45 tsp with 1 tsp per day = 1800 EPA / 900 DHA Sears Labs 120 capsules with 4 per day = 1600 EPA / 800 DHA Natural Factors 120 capsules with 4 per day = 1600 EPA / 800 DHA Natures Mighty Bites comes in a 72 TBL liquid with 1 tsp per day = 1500 EPA / 760 DHA Omega Brite 60 Gel Caps per box with 4 per day = 1500 EPA / 220 DHA>> :? I had trouble arriving at your figure for Mighty Bites. With the autoship, you can get the 45 tsp bottle of Sears for $63 or $1.40 per tsp. Natures MB (according to the website) is $59 for 45 tsp. or $1.31 per tsp. A tsp of Sears provides 2.7g (EPA+DHA) vs. 2.26g for MB. If I were to equate the two, Sears comes to $.52 per gram of longchain omega3 whereas MB comes to $.58 per gram. [b:d209eebc2a] It appears Sears Labs is 6 cents cheaper per gram of EPA+DHA.[/b:d209eebc2a] Hope you can shed some light on the discrepancy!

Hi Scott and others interested in high quality low cost PGFO, Of the compared products only Sears and Natures Mighty Bites are true certified PGFO products by IFOS. I was just checking the costings on Natures MB when you posted because 54c a day compared to $1.73 seemed too good to be true I reached the same conclusion that you did. Looks like we must all wait till October 1 before certified PGFO is available at under a dollar a day. Maybe Friends of Anne-Marie might get supplied earlier ?? White Light

My brain is fried from taxes and organic chemistry--thanks for confirming my numbers.

[quote:0c9ec37992="Scott"]My brain is fried from taxes and organic chemistry--thanks for confirming my numbers.[/quote:0c9ec37992] Thanks Scott, Im actually very interested in this topic. Living In NZ I previously faced the prospect of certified PGFO at NZ$99 for 120 caps so for daily requirement 1600epa and 800 dha it cost NZ $ 3.30 (Or US$ 1.91) Thanks to Anne-Marie, I landed my latest shipment of 1080 caps for NZ$400.00, This makes my 1600epa and 800 dha cost NZ$1.48 converted to US$ thats only 86c a day and delivered to my door half way around the world. The omega 3 revolution continues, the price revolution is the next phase. White Light Ps All aussies are in for a very nice surprize

[quote:aa73e1f258="Scott"] :? I had trouble arriving at your figure for Mighty Bites. With the autoship, you can get the 45 tsp bottle of Sears for $63 or $1.40 per tsp. Natures MB (according to the website) is $59 for 45 tsp. or $1.31 per tsp. [/quote:aa73e1f258] You're right. I must have a brain fart that day when doing the calculations..... Also I can't say much, but I've heard that there may be info from Canada that may be very useful, that I'd like to add if it comes to fruition.... 2 changes since I first posted, besides corrected figures for Mighty Bites: 1.) Mighty Bites Liquid now 45 tsp vs. 72 tsp bottle. 2.) iHerb lowered price Natural factors from $17 (4 for $62) down to $15 (4 for $58). [size=18:aa73e1f258][b:aa73e1f258]My REVISED Summary of High Quality (Pharmaceutical Grade) Fish Oil [/b:aa73e1f258][/size:aa73e1f258] In my research , I found that there were only a few sources of High Quality (Pharmaceutical Grade) Fish Oil (Omega-3's) (And with the proper ratio of EPA:DHA). There may be others's, these are just what I found: Dr. Sears (Sears Labs) PGFO Nature's Mighty Bites Fish Oil Liquid Omega Brite (Gel Caps) (also recommended by Sears Labs) Dr. Murray's Natural Factors RX Omega 3 I (and others) have received information for Natural Factors that their PGFO meets and exceeds the standards for PCB, Mercury, Lead, & Arsenic. There is also an independent website that has analyzed both Sears Labs and Natures Mighty Bites: http://www.nutrasource.ca" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.nutrasource.ca Here's what I found their relative costs to be: Sears labs Liquid = ~ $1.737/$1.389 per day per person Sears Labs Capsules = ~ $1.67/$1.33 per day per person Natural Factors = ~ $0.50/($0.48) per day per person Natures MB = ~ $1.31 per day per person Omega Brite = ~ $1.33 per day per person Sears Labs Liquid: $78.15 / $62.50, 45 tsp with 1 tsp per day = 1800 EPA / 900 DHA Sears Labs 120 caps: $50 / $40 with 4 caps per day = 1600 EPA / 800 DHA Natural Factors 120 caps: $15 (4 for $58) with 4 caps per day = 1600 EPA / 800 DHA Natures Mighty Bites: $59, 45 tsp liquid (new) with 1 tsp per day = 1500 EPA / 760 DHA Omega Brite: $19.95 for 60 Gel Caps with 4 per day = 1500 EPA / 220 DHA In my opinion Omega Brite is too low in DHA. Natures Mighty Bites, and Sears Labs, independantly tested at http://www.nutrasource.ca" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.nutrasource.ca Here's numbers for Natural Factors: PCB < .09 ppm, arsenic <.1 ppm, lead < .1 ppm, Mercury < .01 ppm .............................................

The following Q&A comes from an iHerb.com e.Newsletter. The article comes from a site by Dr. Murray, I believe. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is “pharmaceutical grade” fish oil? Since the introduction of truly pharmaceutical grade fish oils, it seems that every fish oil manufacture has now adopted the term. You can no longer be guaranteed a fish oil product is pharmaceutical grade just because it says so on the label. Since there is no official criteria for the term, companies can make the claim without fear of repercussion. Since I am one of the experts who have coined the term, let me explain what I consider to be pharmaceutical grade fish oil. I feel that in order to represent itself as pharmaceutical grade a fish oil product must possess the following characteristics: It must be manufactured in a certified GMP facility approved for pharmaceutical products. It must be manufactured according to pharmaceutical standards that include quality control steps to insure the product is free from lipid peroxides, heavy metals, environmental contaminants, and other harmful compounds. It must provide at least a 60% concentration of the most active long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). The ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to arachidonic acid must be greater than 50:1 It must contain the optimal amount of natural vitamin E as a preservative. The bottom line is that the product that I recommend, RxOmega-3 Factors from Natural Factors, is one of the few fish oil products that truly is a pharmaceutical grade product. Each capsule provides 400 mg of EPA and 200 mg of DHA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is “pharmaceutical grade” fish oil? The bottom line is that the product that I recommend, RxOmega-3 Factors from Natural Factors, is one of the few fish oil products that truly is a pharmaceutical grade product. Each capsule provides 400 mg of EPA and 200 mg of DHA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/quote] Just wandering whether or not Natural Factors RxOmega-3 Factors is truly PGFO? Eg. Who wrote that article in the newsletter, Dr Murray, or a marketing staffmember etc? Can a product be pharmacuetical grade if it has not been tested or certified? The price just seems to be too good to be true, what do others think? Kate.

Dr. Murray's claims of Pharmaceutical Grade are absolutely false. Dr. Sears is the one who coined the term. To avoid confusion in the future, we will start referring to our fish oil as "ultra refined".

[quote:2820a971b9="Kate"]Hi, Just wandering whether or not Natural Factors RxOmega-3 Factors is truly PGFO? Eg. Who wrote that article in the newsletter, Dr Murray, or a marketing staffmember etc? Can a product be pharmacuetical grade if it has not been tested or certified? The price just seems to be too good to be true, what do others think? Kate.[/quote:2820a971b9] I think Dr. Murray wrote the Q&A. So somewhat self-serving. And even though NF is has not been tested by IFOS (requires a fee to be paid)... Here's the Quality numbers for Natural Factors, that I and several others have received by writing to them: PCB < .09 ppm arsenic <.1 ppm lead < .1 ppm Mercury < .01 ppm

When our PCB is tested, it comes back considerably lower than Murray's oil at .001277 on case lot # 21783. This is considerably lower.

[quote:f4196224d3="tech@drsears.com"]When our PCB is tested, it comes back considerably lower than Murray's oil at .001277 on case lot # 21783. This is considerably lower.[/quote:f4196224d3] While Dr. Murray's PGFO is higher at .09 ppm, let's put it in perspective: From research: PCBs are extremely toxic. Low levels of PCBs have been shown to cause health problems in humans. Two parts per million (2.0 ppm) of PCBs is the highest acceptable concentration level in fish. (Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, Community Development 700 Ackerman Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1578 The Invisible Environment Series, PCBs, CDFS-201-98 Joe E. Heimlich, Leader, Environmental Science Community Development) That makes Dr. Murray's .09 less than highest acceptable by a factor of 22. Certainly MB or Sears has even lower values (by a factor of 70), and less is always better, but for those on a budget..... (We have 4 teens, one taking 6 capsules and another taking 2 capsules per day plus my wife and I taking 4 capsules each per day..... At 16 capsules per day, adds up very quickly! $15.00 for 120 capsules only lasts us 7 days! ..... $58.00 per month as it is - is a lot.)

[quote:8981ec8f96="jaydpiii"] Two parts per million (2.0 ppm) of PCBs is the highest acceptable concentration level in fish. [/quote:8981ec8f96] ... and further ...: The EPA has established a maximum acceptable level of 0.5 ppb for PCBs in drinking water. The EPA requires that companies that transport, store, or dispose of PCBs follow the rules and regulations of the federal hazardous waste management program. The EPA also limits the amount of PCBs put into publicly owned waste water treatment plants. [b:8981ec8f96]The Food and Drug Administration, FDA, requires that milk, eggs, other dairy products, poultry fat, fish, shellfish, and infant foods sold in interstate commerce should contain not more than 0.2 to 3 parts of PCBs per million (ppm) of food [/b:8981ec8f96] (0.2 to 3 microgram per gram, on a lipid basis) [b:8981ec8f96]to protect from noncancer harmful health effects. [/b:8981ec8f96] The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH, recommends that workers not breathe air containing more than 0.001 milligrams of PCBs per cubic meter of air (0.001mg/m3 ) for a 10-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.

Message deleted :)

[quote:ee82451fda="tech@drsears.com"]Dr. Murray's claims of Pharmaceutical Grade are absolutely false. Dr. Sears is the one who coined the term. To avoid confusion in the future, we will start referring to our fish oil as "ultra refined".[/quote:ee82451fda] Hi Techs@drsears, I am confused by your post. Are you stating that Natural Factors PGFO is not pharmaceutical grade because Dr sears coined the term, or because the levels in his products do not meet the criteria for PGFO (or because the product is not certified etc)? Kate.

Simply saying that Dr. Murray obviously makes false claims, our oil is cleaner, and they could say anything about the standards of their oil because they have nothing to go by.

Thanks for clearing that up :) What a shame it is that labelling laws are not more strict, in that anyone can claim anything on the label, so long as it doesn't promise to cure disease etc (which is illegal). If Natural Factors PGFO was truly pharmacuetical grade, I believe it would be verified by independent testing (eg. nutrasource labs). No offense intended to you, John, and I hope you look into this further for the sake of your families health :) Kate.

[quote:c0fe3deb9d="Kate"]No offense intended to you, John, and I hope you look into this further for the sake of your families health :) Kate.[/quote:c0fe3deb9d] No Offense, taken. BUT, if you've seen my previous (recent) posts. You'll see that I (and others) did. Look at their numbers, and my previous posts from EPA, etc.

[quote:19e0a09d5e="jaydpiii"][quote:19e0a09d5e="Kate"]No offense intended to you, John, and I hope you look into this further for the sake of your families health :) Kate.[/quote:19e0a09d5e] No Offense, taken. BUT, if you've seen my previous (recent) posts. You'll see that I (and others) did. Look at their numbers, and my previous posts from EPA, etc.[/quote:19e0a09d5e] Hi John :) I did see your posts, but I thought that techs were saying these claims were false, and that NFactors was not PGFO. With no certified testing, how do we know the claims are true? Are you just going by the manufacturers claims or is there some sort of testing? We've just had a big scandal here where many health supplements were not what they stated on the label (eg. dosages were varied, toxins present etc). It's 2am here & my brain is fried (no PGFO you see :-p ) so I will re-read your posts tomorrow as right now I still don't understand if the NF brand is PGFO or 'safe'. So tired... Kate.

[quote:81ed5fe411="Kate"]Hi, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is “pharmaceutical grade” fish oil? The bottom line is that the product that I recommend, RxOmega-3 Factors from Natural Factors, is one of the few fish oil products that truly is a pharmaceutical grade product. Each capsule provides 400 mg of EPA and 200 mg of DHA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/quote:81ed5fe411] Just wandering whether or not Natural Factors RxOmega-3 Factors is truly PGFO? Eg. Who wrote that article in the newsletter, Dr Murray, or a marketing staffmember etc? Can a product be pharmacuetical grade if it has not been tested or certified? The price just seems to be too good to be true, what do others think? Hi Kate, The natural Factors product is a self claimed PGFO only tested by themselves. IFOS certification is the true test. One can only wonder why they do not put their product forward to independent testing. What do you do for PGFO in your part of the world ? White Light Ps I remember You cant take too much of it but I was curious about availability and prices. Kate.[/quote]

I recall some message in the previous forums where someone went ahead and had the Natural Factors oil tested agaist their claims of pcb and mercury levels. I don't think it was by the IFOS- but none-the-less, it was an independent test. It was found to be within the standards. I agree that it appears the Sears oil is significantly lower in PCBs and if I could afford it I'd probalby buy it over Natural Factors. The amount I'd have to spend would be like another car payment and I got to say that the whole zone diet way of eating has already doubled my food costs! (of course it is worth every penny) HOWEVER- the the Natural Factors still meets the standards that Dr. Sears himself has established as safe for PCB. According to what they state- the other two criteria (assuming some did validate the pcb levels as asked above) are met too as others have noted. However- if you still doubt their claims: as far as the other two standards- they really are not toxic issues. The 600 mg/1000mg standard is really to prevent digestive discomfort- so if you are not having a problem- who cares. The EPA/AA ratio standard would just make it less effective if it was not as high as it claimed. It would be a problem is the AA was higher than EPA- but that is very unlikely given the ingredients. I think in the worst case it would still be close to the standard based on values someone had looked up on the ingredients alone. By the way- if I might ask- what is the brand that is being sent over to the Australians. It seems very inexpensive (half the price of Sears) and claimed to be IFOS certified? May be I got the numbers wrong but I thought it was like 88 cents/day.

Hi Stonehousemc, <quote="stonehousemc"]I recall some message in the previous forums where someone went ahead and had the Natural Factors oil tested agaist their claims of pcb and mercury levels.> My understanding is that they tested it themselves, however if there is any independent testing, I would love to see it. <I don't think it was by the IFOS- but none-the-less, it was an independent test. It was found to be within the standards.> It was not IFOS and they set the standards. <I agree that it appears the Sears oil is significantly lower in PCBs and if I could afford it I'd probalby buy it over Natural Factors. The amount I'd have to spend would be like another car payment and I got to say that the whole zone diet way of eating has already doubled my food costs! (of course it is worth every penny)> look at the savings in medical bills <HOWEVER- the the Natural Factors still meets the standards that Dr. Sears himself has established as safe for PCB. According to what they state-> True but without IFOS testing serious doubt exists. <the other two criteria (assuming some did validate the pcb levels as asked above) are met too as others have noted. However- if you still doubt their claims: as far as the other two standards- they really are not toxic issues. The 600 mg/1000mg standard is really to prevent digestive discomfort- so if you are not having a problem- who cares. The EPA/AA ratio standard would just make it less effective if it was not as high as it claimed. It would be a problem is the AA was higher than EPA- but that is very unlikely given the ingredients. I think in the worst case it would still be close to the standard based on values someone had looked up on the ingredients alone.> Purity and potency are the questions. neither are answered re Natural factors <By the way- if I might ask- what is the brand that is being sent over to the Australians.> You may ask, But I can not tell you till Oct 1 < It seems very inexpensive (half the price of Sears) and claimed to be IFOS certified? > It is and it is <May be I got the numbers wrong but I thought it was like 88 cents/day.[/quote]> Well the Australian numbers have not been leaked yet I think what you are quoting was the New Zealand cost expressed In US $ White Light

I'm very pleased with omega Rx. Excellent product, very affordable.