Ascenta Health Ltd., a developer of natural health products and is the producer of NutraSea, the #1selling omega-3 fish oil supplement line in Canada, also sold throughout the U.S., UK, India and Taiwan. Launched in 2003, Ascenta has become a leader in the omega-3 category and is one of few companies to approach business from a sustainable perspective.
Ascenta’s success is strongly linked to the company’s core commitments to quality and the environment.
Ascenta’s advanced research and development department has remained at the forefront of fatty acid research and continues to develop innovative and award winning products that are one of the best qualities available. Ascenta is the first and only company in the world to back up its quality claim by providing customers with the third party quality test report for their own product, right on their website www.ascentahealth.com.
Ascenta isn’t just focused on sustaining health through diet. The company’s leadership team also understands the link between human health and the environment. Ascenta is leading the industry in corporate environmental stewardship as it puts an environmental emphasis on everything it does.
Ascenta is the first fish oil manufacturer to become a member of 1% for the Planet, a Massachusetts–based organization dedicated to inspiring members of the global business community to contribute 1% of their total sales to environmental groups around the world. Ascenta donates 1% of every sale to the environment which is a significant commitment that backs who Ascenta is as a corporation.
In addition to making such environmentally friendly choices as using recycled packaging materials, FSC certified, 100% recycled paper, and biodegradable spoons made of potato starch when conducting product tastings, Ascenta has also established employee incentives for making green choices. Employees are awarded annual cash bonuses for choosing alternative modes of transportation to get to and from work, such as cycling, walking, carpooling, and taking public transit. If an employee buys a new car, Ascenta will contribute $500 toward the purchase of a more fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle.
Not only does Ascenta have green corporate practices, but the very products it is selling are also environmentally sustainable. The company obtains its fish oil from a regulated fishing industry off the coast of Peru. The Pacific sardine and anchovy fisheries are regulated by the Peruvian government; allowable catch numbers are regularly adjusted to sustain the biomass of the fish species. The fish are wild and caught for use as a food source. The oil is extracted from fish byproducts that would otherwise be wasted or used to make fish meal, an agricultural feed. Ascenta believes that the fish oil industry poses no threat to ocean resources. Ascenta is an organization where environmental responsibility is a key driver for the business.
The following list illustrates just a few examples of Ascenta’s environmental stewardship:
- Sources local ingredients where possible.
- Sources supplies and ingredients from green suppliers where possible.
- Fish oils come from a regulated sustainable fishery.
- Fish oils come from wild Pacific sardines and anchovies.
- Fish oil is sold in glass bottles, which can be recycled in many parts of the world.
- Packaging is made of post-consumer recycled materials.
- All point-of-sale packaging and printer paper is 100% post-consumer recycled and is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, a non-profit organization working for the responsible management of the world’s forests.
- Member of 1% for the Planet.
- Has made significant donations to environmental organizations since its inception.
- Composting and recycling is mandatory at the office.
- Encourages electronic document sharing and duplex printing.
- Employee incentives for environmentally friendly transportation choices.
- All office lights are turned off at the end of each workday.
- Office temperature is programmed to drop overnight to conserve energy.
- Biodegradable spoons used at tastings are made of potato starch.
Omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as in normal growth and development.
Today there are thousands of published studies on omega-3s, citing a multitude of health benefits, including mental health, cardiovascular health, arthritis treatment, and improved learning and development. Unfortunately in North America the consumption of omega-3 is well below the recommended dose.
People are consuming so little of this essential fatty acid because of the changes in our food and eating habits. People are consuming less fish and have gone more to grain–based diets, where omega-3s are largely replaced by omega-6s, trans fats, and saturated fats. This is mainly due to the widespread use of cooking oils. This has led to a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids, where the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is 1:15 instead of the optimal 1:1. A decreased amount of omega-3 relative to omega-6 in the diet results in an increased risk of degenerative disease. Experts generally advise that we consume more omega-3 and less omega-6.
For people to naturally ingest the recommended level of omega-3s, they would have to significantly increase their consumption of fatty fishes. Because of environmental contaminants, however, eating fish isn’t necessarily the best choice. To attain the recommended daily intake of omega-3 from eating fatty fishes has health risks due to the contamination of our oceans. It is safer to take a good quality fish oil supplement, because any contaminants, such as PCBs, dioxins, furans, pesticides, and heavy metals, are removed during the refining process. For more information, visit
www.ascentahealth.com
Reused with permission from Progress Media Group – Excerpts from an article by Shannon Long.
