Salmon fed with a diet rich with sesamin can produce more omega-3 Photo: Kiril Davarski

Adding a component of sesame oil to fish feed can make them produce more omega-3, say scientists from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. For the discovery, the researchers won the DSM Innovation Award at the AquaVision 2008 Conference, in Norway.

The study showed that a diet rich in sesamin, a component of the sesame oil, made salmonid fish convert linoleic acid, of vegetable origin, into the long-chain omega-3 fatty acid DHA, increasing levels of the acid by 37%. “We did not see any adverse effects on fish growth or health,” said Professor Jana Pickova, who led the research team.

Fish produce omega-3 from the fish oil present in their diet. With this discovery, producers of fish feed will potentially be able to double their production using the same amount of fish oil, without affecting the omega-3 fatty acid levels in the product.

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