Omega 3 Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (EPA, DHA, ALA), By Source (Marine, Plant), By Application (Supplements & Functional Foods), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global omega 3 market was valued at USD 2.43 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8% from 2023 to 2030. This is attributable to the rising use of omega 3-based ingredients in the human diet to support brain and heart health. Furthermore, the increasing consumer investment in healthcare and one’s well-being is also expected to boost product demand. The market is witnessing continuous diversification in its product offerings as consumers are looking for alternatives to traditional fish oil. Krill oil is one of the widely used sources of omega-3 owing to its superior properties as compared to traditional fish oil. The majority of consumers in North America and Europe prefer krill oil over any other source of fish oil due to its unpleasant taste, acid reflux, and large-sized pills. Such factors are anticipated to trigger product demand during the forecast period.

The demand for omega-3 fatty acids in the U.S. is projected to grow significantly over the next few years owing to rising consumer awareness in the country regarding the several health benefits offered, including lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and risks related to heart diseases. Moreover, growing consumer preference for a healthy and nutritional diet is further expected to fuel the product demand in the near future.

Numerous manufacturers present in the U.S., including BioProcess Algae, Martek Biosciences Corporation, and Omega Protein Corporation are focusing on research and development activities for launching pharmaceutical-grade omega 3 in the market. Increasing consumption of enhanced medicines to treat and prevent chronic diseases is likely to spur overall consumption in the coming years.

Growing demand for omega 3 coupled with rising pressure on anchovy fisheries to extract fish oil has increased the demand from non-fish sources including flaxseed, walnuts, algae, and krill oil. Furthermore, the increasing government initiatives to promote the usage of omega 3 in different end-use applications are projected to positively impact the market demand.

Type Insights

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) type dominated the market with the highest revenue share of 62.4% in 2022. This is attributed to the growing utilization of the product in infant formulas to improve the overall health of an infant. In the human diet, DHA is the most essential and abundant omega-3 fatty acid, which helps in maintaining the health of the human body.

DHA is a crucial component for the development and maturity of an infant's brain and eyesight. Moreover, it is widely used in nutritional supplements and fortified foods. It is also used in treating dementia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, coronary artery disease (CAD), and Type 2 diabetes. The advantages of DHA for health and longevity have also resulted in its use in geriatric nutrition products.

The demand for Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is anticipated to increase globally during the forecast period owing to several health benefits such as it helps in avoiding coronary heart diseases, high blood pressure, inflammation, and excessive triglycerides (blood fats). It is also used for treating diabetes, addressing chemotherapy-related side effects, and enabling recovery from surgeries among others.

Source Insights

The marine segment dominated the market with the highest revenue share of 83.3% in 2022. This is attributable to the abundance of DHA and EPA omega-3s in fish bodies or liver oil, oily or fatty fish, and marine microorganisms, such as algae and marine crustaceans, including krill. High-omega-3 content sources for human consumption include salmon, pollock, tuna, and mackerel.

Other high EPA and DHA content sources include forage fish species with small bodies. This fish category includes anchovies, herring, sardines, mackerel, hoki, and capelin. Thus, marine, in general, is recognized worldwide as a major source of EPA and DHA, thereby leading to rising demand for omega-3 obtained from marine sources.

The plant source segment is expected to register growth over the forecast period, mainly because the global demand for vegetable oils obtained from seeds of soybeans, safflower, sunflower, cotton, and corn is surging as they are rich sources of omega-3. Key players are also shifting to plant sources as an alternative to fish oil due to their environmental benefits. For instance, in October 2018, Cargill Incorporated launched ‘Latitude’, a plant-based sustainable alternative source of Omega 3 for fish feed applications.

Application Insights

The supplements & functional foods application segment dominated the market with the highest revenue share of 52.0% in 2022. This is attributable to the exceptional benefits offered by omega 3 such as muscle gain, mineral fortification weight management, and beauty benefits. Growing awareness regarding a reduction in calorie intake among gym professionals and athletes in several countries including China, Italy, India, and the U.S. is likely to promote the use of sports supplements and functional food products.

The pharmaceuticals segment is expected to register significant growth over the forecast period on the account of its growing usage in the dermatology sector due to its scalp nourishment properties. It is used to preserve the lipid content of the skin, thus preventing moisture loss and maintaining skin hydration. The rising utilization of omega 3 in pharmaceutical applications to treat the aforementioned skin and scalp conditions is further expected to drive the market over the forecast period.

The growing aging population, increasing lifestyle-related diseases, and rising prevalence of cancer are expected to fuel the demand for omega-3-based pharmaceutical products. In addition, technological advancements in API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) manufacturing are expected to augment the product market growth during the forecast period.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the market with the highest revenue share of 37.1% in 2022. This is attributable to the presence of prominent manufacturers of omega 3-based pharmaceutical products. The demand in this region is also driven by the presence of major pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Amway, and Amarin Pharma, Inc. among others.

The rising consumption of omega-3 in the pharmaceuticals industry and the growing research and development activities related to the product are expected to drive the growth of the market in North America over the forecast period. Moreover, the rising consumption of omega 3-rich supplements and functional food products by athletes owing to their ability to improve protein synthesis, increase muscle health, and enhance the physical performance of consumers is anticipated to further drive the market growth over the forecast period.

Asia Pacific is likely to witness growth owing to the rising demand for packaged baby nutrition formulas owing to the increasing participation of women in the workplace is anticipated to propel the demand for infant formulas in countries such as India, China, Japan, Australia, and Thailand. Furthermore, the increasing significance of omega 3 DHA for the development of the infant nervous system, vision, and brain along with the product’s ability to support long-term health is projected to drive market growth in the coming years.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Growing consumption of omega-3 in various applications coupled with rising awareness regarding health and chronic diseases, and regulations favoring the use of omega-3 in infant formulations has influenced manufacturers to invest in technologies and product development in order to meet consumer demands. The market has been experiencing an increase in the number of new entrants across the value chain owing to the growing profits and huge market potential of manufacturers.

The global market is consolidated with a few large market players accounting for a majority share. For instance, the acquisition of Ocean Nutrition Canada and Martek Biosciences by DSM shaped it as one of the largest suppliers of omega-3 ingredients, in terms of volume, across the globe. In addition, key companies such as Aker Biomarine Antarctic AS are focusing on expanding their capacity by introducing new catching vessels to increase their products, which was reflected in the sales of the company in the year 2021. Governments across developing regions are taking several initiatives to support Antarctic Krill fishing by providing research funds and creating innovation alliances, which may trigger industry growth. Some of the prominent players in the global omega 3 market include.

• Aker Biomarine Antarctic AS

• Orkla Health

• BASF SE

• Omega Protein Corp.

• GC Reiber Oils

• Lonza

• Croda International Plc

• EPAX

• BioProcess Algae, LLC

• Koninklijke DSM N.V.

Recent Developments

• In March 2023, Epax announced that it had undertaken a significant upgrade to its facility in Aelesund, Norway, along with the launch of an advanced molecular distillation technology, branded ‘EQP+Tech’. This technology enables the separation and ultra-concentration of individual fatty acids from fish oil without using chemicals or excessive heat. It will allow the company to manufacture highly-concentrated Omega-3 products for nutritional purposes

• In March 2023, GC Rieber VivoMega, through the efforts of its commercial and R&D teams, introduced a new microalgae-based omega-3 concentrate. Microalgae is a plant-based alternative to fish oil, being the origin of omega-3 DHA and EPA in species such as fish. The concentrate is aimed at consumers who follow a high-quality plant-based diet pattern

• In December 2022, Aker BioMarine announced that it had entered into a strategic partnership with Fullpet Co., a major Chinese pet food manufacturer. The partnership will aim to customize raw materials through the exchange of manufacturing and research practices for promoting pet health food development

• In October 2022, Epax announced the launch of a new range of products, called ‘Epax NovusLipid’, which leverages the benefits of cetoleic acid. The first product in the range was ‘EPAX Cetoleic 10’, containing cetoleic acid (an Omega-11 marine lipid) and gondoic acid (Omega-9)

• In October 2022, Royal DSM announced that the European Commission had approved its ‘life’s™OMEGA’ plant-based omega-3 solution for use in fish and meat alternatives across the European Union. The product is the first single-source, algae-derived omega-3 that is commercially available and is suitable for vegans. Its launch has opened opportunities for creating applications such as vegan tuna salads or salmon burgers in the region

• In September 2022, Aker BioMarine announced an agreement with Trofi Nutritional Inc. for developing Lysoveta-based medical food products to combat Alzheimer’s, gestational diabetes, and male infertility. Lysoveta contains vital nutrients such as choline, DHA, and EPA, in the form of Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), a molecule that can travel across the blood-brain barrier with important nutrients for brain functioning

• In May 2022, GC Rieber VivoMega announced a major 5-year investment plan for building a new facility in Kristiansund, Norway, to double the production of the company’s premium triglyceride form of omega-3s EPA and DHA

• In April 2022, Royal DSM announced the expansion of its ‘life’s™’ algal-sourced omega-3 range with 2 new products – the life’s™OMEGA O1030DS and the life’s™OMEGA Ultra. The range aims to offer an omega-3 alternative for fish oil that has zero impact on the marine ecosystem, while maintaining similar levels of efficacy. This coincided with the launch of the ‘Sea the Difference’ campaign by the company, which started on Earth Day 2022 

Omega 3 Market Report Scope

Global Omega 3 Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis on the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global Omega 3 market report based on type, source, application, and region:

• Type Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)

  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)

  • Alpha-linolenic Acid (ALA)

• Source Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Marine Source

  • Plant Source

• Application Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Supplements & Functional Foods

  • Pharmaceuticals

  • Infant Formula

  • Animal Feed & Pet Food

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Spain

    • Italy

    • The Netherlands

    • Norway

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Australia

    • New Zealand

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa

    • UAE