Stonyfield Introduces Organic Omega-3 Milk with DHA & EPA

Made with Sustainably Harvested Fish Oil in Partnership with Ocean Nutrition Canada

Londonderry, NH – May 11, 2011, Stonyfield Organic Omega-3 Milk with DHA  and EPA, omega-3 fatty acids beneficial to mind, body and heart health, is now available from Stonyfield, the world’s leading organic yogurt company.

According to a new survey by the Organic Trade Association, in collaboration with Kiwi magazine, organic consumers want products to contain more omega-3.  In fact, omega-3 was the nutrient they wanted most (69%) compared to other nutrients in the products they feed their families.
 
“Research shows that Americans have a serious omega-3 deficiency in their diets,” said Dr. William Sears, who is known as America’s pediatrician. “Omega-3s are especially important for children whose bodies and brains require these fatty acids to grow healthy. It’s also critical for adults to maintain the proper balance of omega-3s for optimal health.”

Stonyfield’s new omega-3 milk is an ideal way for Americans to get their recommended daily dose of 160 mg of omega-3s.  Stonyfield complements its pasture-raised organic milk – which already contains elevated levels of the naturally-occurring ALA omega-3 – with DHA and EPA, two other omega-3 fatty acids extracted from sustainably-sourced fish oil. With 50 mg of omega-3s per glass, just over three glasses of Stonyfield Farm Organic Omega-3 Milk will provide the recommended omega-3 daily intake. 

“Now getting omega-3s into your diet is as easy and delicious as drinking a glass of Stonyfield organic milk!” said Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield President and CE-Yo.


Heart-healthy Omega-3s: Essential for Health
The body produces nearly all of the fatty acids it needs to survive, but some of the ones it does
not produce can be obtained through food sources. These include the omega-3 fatty acids ALA (Alpha Linolenic Acid), EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), and the omega-6 fatty acid LA (Linoleic Acid).  Research shows DHA plays a critical role in the health of the nervous system throughout the lifespan.  EPA helps support cardiovascular health, as does ALA. Omega-6 fatty acids play important roles in immune response, but stimulate inflammation and cell proliferation, whereas omega-3s reduce both.

According to scientists at the National Institute of Health, our diets should contain 60 percent omega-3 and 40 percent omega-6 fatty acids. Since most Americans have diets that contain 10 times to as much as 30 times as many omega-6s as omega-3s – an imbalance that is thought to explain the rise of childhood asthma, heart disease, cancer and obesity – reducing this imbalance is another reason for increasing our omega-3 intake.

Fish Oil, the Best Source of Omega-3s
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fatty fish and certain plant oils, such as flax.  Fish and marine oils contain body-ready forms of omega-3 (EPA and DHA), however, making them the most efficient source for omega-3s.

Stonyfield selected Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited (ONC), the world’s leading supplier of omega-3 ingredients, as its fish oil partner. The Nova Scotia-based company sources Stonyfield’s fish oil supply from wild fish, sardines and anchovies caught off Peru in South America. This region is where the cold Antarctic waters meet the steep continental shelf and is one of the richest marine environments in the world.  The fishery is highly regulated and protected by the Peruvian government to ensure that it remains biodiverse and entirely sustainable.  Impurities in the fish oil are removed through multiple purification steps resulting in the highest quality oil that meets or exceeds all global regulatory and safety standards. 

Stonyfield, a Long Time Champion of Omega-3
Stonyfield has been an advocate for omega-3s since before 2005 when it introduced the first baby yogurt with added DHA omega-3. Three years later it launched the Stonyfield Greener Cow Project, which studied the effects of feeding cows a diet high in omega-3. Not only did the program find a way to naturally decrease global warming gases caused by cows’ burps, but it significantly improved the nutritional value of the milk by increasing its omega-3 content. Last October, Stonyfield sponsored a world conference on essential fatty acids in Greece where scientists discussed the need to increase the amount of omega-3 in our diets while decreasing our intake of omega-6. 

Starting this month, look for new Stonyfield Organic Omega-3 Milk in both Whole and Reduced Fat varieties.  They will be in leading supermarkets and natural food stores for a suggested retail price of $4.39 per half gallon.

Stonyfield Farm: Dedicated to Healthy Food, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, Healthy Business
Stonyfield Farm, celebrating its 28th year, is the world's leading organic yogurt company. Its certified organic yogurt, smoothies, milk, cultured soy, frozen yogurt and ice cream are distributed nationally. The company advocates that healthy food can only come from a healthy planet. Its use of organic ingredients helps keep over 180,000 farm acres free of toxic, persistent pesticides and chemical fertilizers known to contaminate soil, drinking water and food. To help reduce climate change, Stonyfield offsets all of the C02 emissions generated from its facility energy use. The company also started a nonprofit called Climate Counts (climatecounts.org) which shows people how they can help fight climate change by the way they shop and invest. Stonyfield also donates 10% of its profits to efforts that help protect and restore the Earth.  For further information, visit www.stonyfield.com or follow Stonyfield on Twitter @Stonyfield and @StonyfieldBiz, and on Facebook www.facebook.com/StonyfieldFarm.