Proprietary Research & Development
Nutrican Inc. has conducted and commissioned independent research across animal nutrition, formulation science, and process engineering — validating the efficacy and quality of marine-sourced seal oil across multiple applications.
Confidential R&D Documentation — For authorized viewing only. Documents are protected and cannot be downloaded.
Phase 1 research results on the effect of seal oil supplementation in animal feed trials.
Research study examining production performance and health outcomes in swine supplemented with marine-source seal oil.
5-week controlled trial on HY-LINE BROWN layers — measuring laying rate, egg weight, shell strength, yolk cholesterol, and Haugh units across dosage groups.
Technical report on the refinement and extraction of functional components from harp seal oil, including esterification and urea inclusion process batch analyses.
Preliminary encapsulation study (Project #09-698) evaluating 6 protocols across 4 encapsulants including acacia gum, soy protein isolate, and modified food starch.
Master of Marine Studies thesis by Mark Rumboldt (Memorial University of Newfoundland) analyzing the MMPA's policy implications, trade barriers, and market opportunities for the Canadian sealing industry — covering seal oil omega-3 market potential, international jurisdictions, and strategic recommendations for MMPA amendment.
Official Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) monograph issued by Health Canada (Feb 8, 2007). Establishes the approved proper name, source species, route of administration, omega-3 health claims (EPA, DHA, DPA), recommended daily dosage by age group (100–3000 mg EPA+DHA), storage conditions, and NHPD specification compliance requirements for seal oil as a licensed natural health product in Canada.
40-day trial on 520-day-old laying hens (9,000-bird farm, 2001) — testing 0.1%, 0.25%, and 0.75% seal oil dosages. Measured laying rate, egg weight, failure rate, shell strength, Haugh units, cholesterol profiles, blood enzyme levels, and nutrient digestibility. Concluded 0.1% seal oil optimally improves laying rate and egg white quality.
5-week controlled trial on HY-LINE BROWN layers (240 days) testing 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.25% seal oil. Assessed feed intake, laying rate, egg weight, feed-to-egg ratio, shell strength, Haugh units, and yolk cholesterol. Found 0.25% seal oil delivers the most significant overall improvement in production performance and egg quality.
28-day winter trial (Dec 2011 – Jan 2012) on 5,000 hens — 3,000 youth (38 wks) and 2,000 elder (62 wks). Measured laying rate, disqualified egg rate, shell strength, egg white height, Haugh units, and freshness over 5 weeks storage. Found seal oil significantly improves egg white quality and shell strength, especially at 0.05% for elder hens.
Replicated 5-week trial on HY-LINE BROWN layers (240 days) confirming findings from the first experiment. Groups tested at 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.25% seal oil. Confirms 0.25% as the optimal dose for overall production improvement and 0.1% for egg freshness and white quality.
2024 peer-reviewed study (Forensic Science International) establishing chemical fingerprinting methods to authenticate harp seal oil versus other marine mammal oils — directly supporting product authenticity and anti-adulteration compliance for bulk seal oil trade.
Health Canada Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) presentation covering NHP Regulations, quality specification requirements (identity, purity, quantity, potency), microbial and chemical contaminant tolerances, standardization, and manufacturing information requirements for product licence applications.
Conference presentation by Prof. Bruce J. Holub (University of Guelph) at the 2004 Ottawa Conference on Seal Oil, Collagen, and Protein Products — covering nutraceutical definitions, cardiovascular disease prevalence, functional food rationale, and the role of EPA/DHA omega-3s in reducing Canadian health care costs.
Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland — technical presentation on harp seal blubber oil fatty acid composition, sn-positional distribution of EPA, DHA, and DPA in seal vs. menhaden oil, omega-3 oxidation chemistry, and oil stabilization (RBD refining process).
Presentation by Prof. Fereidoon Shahidi (Memorial University of Newfoundland) covering the history of the Canadian sealing industry, harp seal harvest statistics and landed value (1985–2002), phocid seal species of Eastern Canada, blubber oil fatty acid data, and food applications of marine oils.
Technical slides covering seal blubber lipid composition (18–23% omega-3 fatty acids), the full RBD (Refined, Bleached, Deodorized) oil production flowchart from crude blubber to stabilized marine oil, comparative fatty acid tables for seal blubber vs. menhaden oil, and positional distribution data for EPA, DPA, and DHA.
Supplementary presentation on the Canadian seal fishery covering resource utilization benefits, 2003 export values ($40M), top five landed species by value, seal meat composition data (gross composition, amino acid profile, minerals, vitamins), and comparative nutritional quality of mechanically-separated seal meat (MSSM) vs. beef, chicken, and cod.
Comparative Data
Side-by-side laboratory data across all three product grades — Pharmaceutical RBD, Food-Grade, and Crude Harp Seal Oil (Phoca groenlandica).
Parameter
Pharma RBD
Refined · Bleached · Deodorized
Food Grade
Refined Harp Seal Oil
Crude Grade
Phoca groenlandica
Fatty Acid Profile
EPA (C20:5 n-3)
≥ 6.28 area % · ≥ 57.2 mg/g
5.74%
—
DPA (C22:5 n-3)
≥ 4.22 area % · ≥ 39.4 mg/g
5.29%
—
DHA (C22:6 n-3)
≥ 8.14 area % · ≥ 75.4 mg/g
9.32%
—
Total Omega-3
≥ 21.47 area %
23.32%
—
Total Omega-6
≥ 2.67 area %
2.17%
—
Total Omega-9
≥ 30.67 area %
—
—
Total Monounsaturated FA
~53.73 area %
60.92%
—
Total Saturated FA
~13.61 area %
11.62%
—
Total Polyunsaturated FA
~24.20 area %
—
—
Total Identifiable FA
≥ 913.4 mg/g
—
—
Chemical Purity & Oxidation
Acid Value
≤ 0.08 mg KOH/g
—
—
Free Fatty Acids (as Oleic)
≤ 0.04%
—
—
Peroxide Value
≤ 0.45 meq/kg
5.18 meq/kg
—
p-Anisidine Value
≤ 3.69
2.61
—
Gardner Color
≤ 0.7
—
—
Cold Test
Passed (clear after 4h at 4°C)
—
—
Heavy Metals (ppm)
Arsenic (As)
< 0.20 ppm
0.16 ppm
—
Cadmium (Cd)
< 0.03 ppm
0.002 ppm
—
Lead (Pb)
< 0.20 ppm
<0.01 ppm
—
Mercury (Hg)
< 0.20 ppm
<0.005 ppm
—
Microbiological Safety
Salmonella
Negative / Passed
Negative / 25g
—
E. coli / Coliform
Negative / Passed
<10 / g
—
Staphylococcus aureus
—
<10 CFU/g
—
Yeast and Mold
Negative / Passed
<10 CFU/g
—
Standard Plate Count
Negative / Passed
—
—
Contaminants & Environmental (Crude Only)
Total PCB
Removed via RBD process
—
ND (nan ng/g)
Total Dioxins (PCDD/F)
Removed via RBD process
—
0.66 pg/g
Lipid Content
—
—
1.0%
p,p' DDE (Organochlorine)
—
—
72 ng/g
trans-Nonachlor
—
—
33 ng/g
Oxychlordane
—
—
29 ng/g
a-BHC
—
—
12 ng/g
a-Chlordane
—
—
11 ng/g
Hexachlorobenzene (HXCB)
—
—
8 ng/g
Sources: Nutrican Inc. Product Specification Sheet (RBD Pharma-Grade) · COA No. MRK-45182147-0, Mérieux NutriSciences (Food-Grade) · RPC Task ID 651032.0 (Crude Harp Seal Oil). All results apply to samples as received. Full COA documentation available upon request.
Regulatory Compliance
GHS-compliant Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for Nutrican Inc. Refined Harp Seal Oil — Version 2.1 · Revised 31.01.2025 · Ref: 30634621/SDS_GEN_SG/EN.
SDS · Refined Harp Seal Oil
CAS 68153-06-0 · GHS Standard · 10 pages · Nutrican Inc.
This SDS is neither a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) nor a technical data sheet and shall not be mistaken for a specification agreement. Data is based on current knowledge and describes the product only with regard to safety requirements. Nutrican Inc. · 675 Cochrane Drive, East Tower 6th Floor, Markham, Ontario L3R 0B8, Canada · Version 2.1 · Fortuna SDS
Contracted Refinery
The following process flow chart details the proprietary deodorization and refining procedures conducted by Nutrican's contracted facility, POS Bioscience Corp., in Saskatchewan, Canada — ensuring pharmaceutical-grade purity and quality compliance at every stage.
Proprietary process documentation — Nutrican Inc. · POS Bioscience Corp., Saskatchewan, Canada · For authorized viewing only.
Industry Resource
Our official industry brochure covers the Canadian marine harvest, omega-3 science, processing standards, and the global market for marine-sourced lipids. Intended for B2B partners, distributors, and procurement officers.
Canadian Marine Industry — Product Introduction
PDF · 24 Pages · ~2.8 MB
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