Business

Farm firm Devenish is central to world-first chicken and egg clinical trials

Professor Alice Stanton of The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Professor Alice Stanton of The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Professor Alice Stanton of The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

A WORLD-first clinical trial delivered by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland on behalf of Belfast-headquartered farming and food company Devenish has proven that the regular consumption of naturally enriched omega-3 chicken and eggs is likely to reduce risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia and depression.

The results of the novel six-month clinical trial have been presented on a world stage at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions Conference in California.

The 161 subjects involved in the study consumed at least three portions of chicken and eggs a week, that were naturally enriched with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), the same nutrients found in oily fish.

The results from the clinical study saw an increase in omega-3-PUFA levels in blood and a positive shift in what is described as the ‘omega-3 Index’-a test that measures the amount of the omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in red blood cell membranes, which reflects the levels in your heart and other tissues.

A low omega-3 Index (<4%) indicates a heightened risk of heart and brain disease. The study showed that consuming omega-3 enriched chicken and eggs resulted in a halving of the number of subjects with such a high-risk omega-3 Index.

The chicken meat and eggs used in the study came from birds offered OmegaPro, a sustainable and algae-based source of omega-3 PUFA, developed by Devenish.

The findings were presented by Professor Alice Stanton of The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, who said: “Greater consumption of oily fish has long been linked to a reduced incidence of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and cancer and improved brain health, vision, muscle and joint health.

“International guidelines recommend eating oily fish at least once per week, however, many people do not eat fish at all and less than 20 per cent of the world’s population have optimal omega-3 PUFA levels.

“Therefore, in this project we studied the recently developed alternatives to oily fish or supplementation, namely chicken meat and eggs, naturally enriched with sustainable algae-based omega-3 PUFA.

“Omega-3 enriched chicken and eggs offer consumers an attractive alternative to eating oily fish or to the lifelong taking of supplements, with the potential for substantial health benefits,” Professor Stanton said:

Owen Brennan, executive chairman at Devenish, added: “We worked closely with Moy Park, Waitrose and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, to deliver an innovative, nutrient-rich food, that increases omega-3 levels in consumers, naturally. The science shows the importance of food nutrients to promote good health in consumers and the innovation starts on the farm.

“The farmer has a key role to play in delivering sustainable and nutritious food with a health claim. Devenish is working hard to increase the opportunity for consumers to benefit from this nutrient-rich food, as less than 20 per cent of the world’s population is eating enough Omega-3.”