Fish oil fortified nutrition bars without the fishy taste or smell

CHICAGO—In today’s fast-paced society, consumers often reach for nutrition bars when looking for a healthy on-the-go snack. Partially replacing canola oil with fish oil in nutrition bars can provide the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids without affecting the taste.

Producers have been hesitant to incorporate fish oil into foods because it tends to give off a fishy taste or smell, therefore requiring additional processing steps to eliminate these unwanted qualities. In the study, four levels of fish oil were evaluated to determine consumer acceptance of fish-oil fortified nutrition bars. The results showed that oat and soy-based nutrition bars fortified with the lowest replacement level (20%) of fish oil did not affect consumer acceptance or purchase intent. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are known to lower triglyceride levels and may help with rheumatoid arthritis.