Omega 3 Fish Oil Products: Are They Cholesterol Free?

The answer to the question “Are your Omega 3 supplements Cholesterol Free?” is a confusing “Yes and No” and requires an explanation. As described in the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR 101.62(d), if a labeled serving size has less than 2 mg per reference amount and per labeled serving (or for meals and main dishes, less than 2 mg per labeled serving) than that label can state “Cholesterol Free” and for all practical purposes be considered Cholesterol Free.

As a reference point, 5mg of Cholesterol is 1% Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet (500mg of Cholesterol would be 100% Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet). Basically, anything less than 5mg of Cholesterol per serving is considered an insignificant amount of Cholesterol and 2mg or less of Cholesterol per serving is considered Cholesterol Free even though there is some trace amount of Cholesterol present.

By way of comparison, the cholesterol content of just one egg can range from approximately 185mg to 215mg per egg. Would you like a fried egg or an omelet? If so, you’ll be taking in about 400mg or more of cholesterol!

Bottom line: The amount of cholesterol in our Omega 3 products is negligible and therefore no reason for concern.