Omega-3: The Camelina Advantage

Camelina meal has FDA approval for:
  • poultry layer rations up to 10%
  • broiler feed rations up to 10%
  • beef cattle rations up to 10%
  • swine feed rations up to 2%

Camelina meal is an excellent source of Omega-3 in livestock and poultry feeds. It is believed that the inclusion of Omega-3 fatty acids in animal feeds will bring an increase in health, reduce stress, increase animal body mass, daily dry matter intake and will provide reproductive beneifts. The level of Omega-3 fatty acids are raised approximately ten fold in chickens, six fold in pork and two fold in beef when Omega-3 ingredients are included in their feed rations.
 
Large population based studies have suggested that a diet rich in Omega-3 fats can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
  • The human body cannot make Omega-3 on its own, so it must be included in the foods we eat.
  • Camelina is an oilseed that has high Omega-3 content and will increase the Omega-3 content of animals when included in their rations.
Camelina, a relative to canola, is a drought resistance seed that is adapted to cooler northern climates. The seeds are a pale yellowish brown color and are quite small. It is a fall or spring planted annual oil crop species. Camelina germinates and emerges well before most cereal grains.

Camelina meal, the extruded product remaining after cold extraction of the oil, generally contains 10% – 15% oil (close to 30% of the oil consists of omega-3 fatty acids) and 36% protein.