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From:
Diane Benisek <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 28 Aug 2002 14:28:20 -0400
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The purpose of this post is to clear up any misconceptions which may have been created regarding the production of those fatty acid oils known as DHASCO® and ARASCO®, which have recently been introduced as ingredients in infant formula in the United States.

The microalgal and fungal organisms that Martek uses for the production of DHASCO and ARASCO were isolated from nature, and they have not been manipulated or modified using any genetic engineering and therefore are not genetically modified organisms (GMO).

DHASCO oil is produced in a microalga, Crypthecodinium cohnii.  This single cell organism is a marine algal species that has been studied extensively in the laboratory over the last 30 years.  C. cohnii is nonpathogenic and nontoxigenic to man or animals.  C. cohnii  synthesizes large quantities of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), but, unlike most other algal strains, does not produce other long chain polyunsaturates, such as docosapentaenoic or eicosapentaenoic acid.  The cells accumulate large amounts of DHA-rich oil in intracellular lipid droplets.  The commercial production of DHASCO oil involves the growth, using standard fermentation technology, of the C. cohnii production strain in large closed tanks under sterile conditions at Martek’s manufacturing facility in Winchester, KY.  Only food grade materials are used in the fermentation process, ensuring the highest quality and purest product.   The algae are harvested, dried, and the oil is extracted and processed in a manner similar to other vegetable oils (e.g., corn oil), using current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) for foods.  The extracted oil naturally contains between 40 and 60% DHA.  The harvested oil is standardized with high oleic sunflower oil (HOSO) to 40% by weight DHA content to produce DHASCO oil.

ARASCO oil is produced by a common soil filamentous fungus, Mortierella alpina.  M. alpina has been studied at length, and of note, is not pathogenic to humans, nor does it produce any mycotoxins harmful to humans or animals.  M. alpina produces large quantities of arachidonic acid (ARA) along with smaller amounts of some the shorter chain n-6 fatty acids.  Similar to the C. cohnii, the M. alpina fungi are grown aseptically in large tanks using standard fermentation technology and food grade materials.   The fungi are harvested, dried, and processed under cGMP in a fashion quite analogous to the C. cohnii oil production.  A cGMP contract facility performs the M. alpina fermentation and spray drying; the oil is extracted and purified at Martek’s oil processing facility in Winchester, KY.  The oil extracted from the M. alpina naturally contains between 40 and 60% ARA.  The harvested oil is standardized with HOSOS to 40% by weight ARA content to produce ARASCO oil.

The reference to recombinant organisms in Martek’s DHA patent is to protect the company from someone else making a recombinant organism.  Like many biotech companies, Martek does basic genetic engineering research on some microalgae, such as appeared in Science in 2001, for potential long term applications.  There is absolutely no genetic engineering involved in the production of DHASCO and ARASCO and it is inaccurate and misleading to indicate otherwise.

Diane Benisek, RD,LD
Clinical Trials Administrator
Martek Biosciences Corporation
(443) 542-2133

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