The next era of omega-3 starts with microalgae

• Omega-3 demand is growing, but traditional marine supply is under pressure and increasingly exposed to environmental volatility.
• El Niño is bringing this vulnerability into sharper focus, raising a bigger question: where will omega-3 come from in the future?
• We explore why supply needs to evolve—and how microalgae could help meet future demand.

For decades, the omega-3 industry has invested in building science, educating consumers, and encouraging greater consumption of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Yet around 80% of the global population still falls short of omega-3 consumption¹ and only 33% of consumers worldwide currently take an omega-3 supplement². 

A supply model under pressure

For much of the omega-3 industry's history, fish oil was the only available source. It remains the foundation of most omega-3 supplements available today and has played an essential role in the growth of the category. But recent events are bringing the vulnerabilities of relying so heavily on marine resources into sharper focus. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Peru.

Peru's anchovy fishery sits at the heart of the global omega-3 supply chain, accounting for up to around 20% of global fish oil supply in a normal year and serving as an important source for dietary supplements and human nutrition.³ That concentration means disruption in one region can have repercussions across the entire value chain. And one environmental phenomenon, in particular, has shown just how significant those repercussions can be: El Niño.

El Niño: a phenomenon with lasting impact  

El Niño is a naturally occurring climate cycle that disrupts ocean temperatures and currents in the South Pacific, including waters off the coast of Peru. These changing conditions can force anchovy populations into deeper, less accessible waters, making fishing more difficult and putting pressure on the availability of the raw materials needed for fish oil production. As recent El Niño disruption has shown, that pressure can quickly be felt across the wider omega-3 market.

During the 2023–2024 El Niño event, crude fish oil prices fluctuated dramatically, reaching levels around four times higher than previous benchmarks. Whereas in 2026, the availability of human-grade crude fish oil from Peru's anchovy fishery has fallen by approximately 90% (from 85,000 MT to 10,000 MT), due to a combination of reduced catches, lower oil yields, quality constraints, and fishing suspensions.⁴ The result is less omega-3 available for higher-value applications, including dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals. 

It's tempting to look at this as another difficult cycle: conditions change, supply contracts, prices rise—and eventually the market recovers. But El Niño isn't just a temporary disruption. It's a reminder of a fundamental challenge: as long as omega-3 supply depends heavily on marine resources, it will remain exposed to significant environmental volatility.

The growing squeeze on omega-3 supply 

Marine resources are already under long-term pressure, with inventories yet to fully recover from the 2023 El Niño. At the same time, the world isn't asking for less EPA and DHA. It is asking for more. Omega-3 already serves a diverse range of markets—from dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals to pet nutrition and aquaculture—while a growing global population will only increase the need for these important nutrients. Put simply, an already constrained and variable resource base cannot meet future demand.

A new way forward for omega-3 supply: microalgae 

The events surrounding El Niño highlight a bigger challenge for the omega-3 industry: meeting growing demand will require new sources of EPA and DHA alongside conventional marine supply. Microalgae offer a compelling way forward—and they aren't simply an alternative source of omega-3. They are its original biological source.

Grown in controlled, land-based production environments, microalgae provide a route to EPA and DHA that is not directly exposed to fishing seasons and changing ocean conditions. But their potential goes beyond creating a more resilient supply base. life’s®OMEGA builds on the natural advantages of microalgae. Naturally twice as potent as standard fish oil, life’s®OMEGA can deliver the desired amount of EPA and DHA with less oil. For brand owners and manufacturers, that creates opportunities for smaller, fewer or more convenient supplements, helping elevate the consumer experience without compromising omega-3 delivery. 

Control extends throughout production too. Drawing on 40 years of omega-3 research and innovation, dsm-firmenich has developed a controlled production model that can take life’s®OMEGA from microalgal strain to pristine nutritional oil in just 25 days, compared with up to two years for standard fish oil. This gives brand owners and manufacturers greater visibility from source to finished oil while reducing exposure to the variability associated with conventional marine supply.

And innovation continues beyond production. life’s®OMEGA is backed by ongoing scientific research, including the landmark DO-HEALTH trial, which included the review of dsm-firmenich’s life’s®OMEGA 60 microalgae omega-3 and Quali-D® vitamin D ingredients. The study found that omega-3, when combined with vitamin D and exercise, slowed biological aging by 10%, as measured by several DNA methylation clocks.⁵ Together, these advances point towards a different model for omega-3: one that starts at the original source, delivers more EPA and DHA in less oil, and brings greater control to the journey from strain to supplement.