Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited Announces Strategic Alliance with Wilmar International Limited - the World's Largest Omega-3 EPA/DHA Food Company
Dartmouth, Canada (ots/PRNewswire)
Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC), the world's largest Omega-3 EPA/DHA solutions provider, and supplier of MEG-3(R) brand Omega-3 EPA/DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid/docosahexaenoic acid) ingredients, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an exclusive long term strategic agreement with Wilmar International Limited (Wilmar), based in Singapore. Wilmar is Asia's leading agribusiness, and a global leader in Omega-3 foods. The collaboration between these two market giants has resulted in the launch of Wilmar's new Arawana 3A+ premium cooking oil containing MEG-3(R) fish oil.
Ocean Nutrition Canada congratulates Wilmar on the exciting launch of Arawana 3A+ premium cooking oil, which offers the added health benefits of Omega-3 EPA/DHA from the most trusted source - MEG-3(R) fish oil. According to a national survey conducted by the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China, the average daily intake of EPA/DHA of Chinese residents is only 37.6 mg/day. This daily intake is less than 25% of the EPA/DHA level accepted by the United States Institute of Medicine (IOM), and less than 10% of the intake recommended by the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL). Due to this deficiency in the Chinese diet, Wilmar, in association with the Chinese Nutrition Society (CNS), is launching Arawana blended oil enriched with MEG-3(R) fish oil. Arawana 3A+ premium cooking oil is a blended vegetable oil product that contains sufficient Omega-3 to help Chinese consumers meet IOM Omega-3 intake recommendations. EPA and DHA are important nutrients that help support and maintain the normal function of the brain, heart, and body. The product is widely distributed in China and is available at supermarkets and traditional markets throughout the country.
In 2009, Arawana brand cooking oil was recognized by the World Brand Laboratory as one of "China's 500 Most Valuable Brands". Adding the goodness of EPA/DHA into a well-established Chinese household staple is a progressive decision for the market leader. This innovative application enables Chinese consumers to conveniently supplement their everyday diets with healthy Omega-3 EPA/DHA everyday in a convenient way.
"Partnering with Ocean Nutrition Canada is strategically important because they offer not only the most highly trusted source of Omega-3 EPA/DHA, but also superior service, and on-going support. We continue to invest and expand our manufacturing and distribution infrastructure, and this alliance is a significant long-term exciting endeavour for both parties," said Mr. Lee, Chairman of Yihai Kerry Foodstuffs Marketing Co., Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wilmar International.
Martin Jamieson, President and CEO of Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited, said, "We are thrilled to partner with Wilmar International, one of the world's great food companies." Jamieson continued, "Ranking 300th in Fortune Magazine's 2009 Fortune Global 500 companies, speaks volumes of Wilmar's significance to the global food industry. Not only do they offer superior products, Wilmar management and staff are dedicated and innovative. We look forward to what the future holds in this partnership - providing consumers with healthy, high-quality products."
About Wilmar International Limited (Wilmar):
Wilmar International Limited, founded in 1991, is Asia's leading agribusiness group. It ranks amongst the largest listed companies by market capitalisation on the Singapore Exchange. Its business activities include oil palm cultivation, oilseeds crushing, edible oils refining, specialty fats, oleochemicals and biodiesel manufacturing, and grains processing. Headquartered in Singapore, Wilmar has over 300 manufacturing plants and an extensive distribution network covering China, India, Indonesia, and some 50 other countries to support a well-established processing and merchandising business. Wilmar also manufactures and distributes fertilizers and owns a fleet of vessels. The group is backed by a multi-national workforce of more than 80,000 people.
Over the years, Wilmar has established a resilient integrated agribusiness model that captures the entire value chain of the agricultural commodity processing business, from origination and processing to the branding, merchandising, and distribution of a wide range of agricultural products. Through scale, integration, and the logistical advantages of its business model, it is able to extract margins at every step of the value chain, resulting in significant operational synergies and cost efficiencies. For more information about Wilmar International, please visit http://www.wilmar-international.com.
About Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC):
Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC) is a privately held company, whose major shareholder is Clearwater Fine Foods Incorporated. Clearwater Fine Foods Incorporated is a diversified holding/investment company whose significant holdings include a controlling interest in Clearwater Seafood's Limited Partnership, the world's largest integrated shellfish harvester and processor.
ONC is the world's largest supplier of Omega-3 EPA/DHA ingredients from fish oil, marketed into the dietary supplement and food manufacturing markets. To date, MEG-3(R) ingredients have been included in over 89 billion servings of food and supplement products worldwide. For more information about ONC, please visit www.ocean-nutrition.com, and for information on the health benefits of Omega-3 EPA/DHA please visit http://www.meg-3.com.
About Omega-3:
Omega-3 is a family of essential fatty acids (EFA), including EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). Oily fish (such as sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and salmon) are the major known natural sources of Omega-3 EPA/DHA. ALA is found in plants, such as flax and chia. It is important to note that EPA and DHA are the primary contributors of the many health benefits associated with Omega-3. While the body can convert ALA into EPA/DHA, it does so very inefficiently (typically less than one percent), making it difficult to derive Omega-3-related health benefits from plant-sourced ALA. Furthermore, although Omega-3 EPA/DHA is important to overall good health, the human body is not able to produce sufficient quantities on its own, so supplementation is required, either by eating oily fish or foods fortified with Omega-3 EPA/DHA, or by taking fish oil supplements. Learn more about the health benefits of Omega-3 EPA/DHA at http://www.meg-3.com.
For further information:
Joanna Lane
Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd.
Tel: +1-902-480-3288
Cell: +1-902-488-0141
jlane@ocean-nutrition.com
http://www.ocean-nutrition.comContact:
CONTACT: Joanna Lane, Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd., Tel:
+1902-480-3288,Cell: +1-902-488-0141, jlane@ocean-nutrition.com