Chia seed oil

Chia seed oil is the fixed oil pressed from the seed of Salvia hispanica L., a Lamiaceae annual grown in South America, Australia and, increasingly, in India. It is the richest common plant source of alpha-linolenic acid: published fatty acid profiles put ALA at 61-64% of total fatty acids, with linoleic acid at 17-20%, oleic acid around 6-7% and total saturates below 12%. That gives an omega-3 to omega-6 ratio close to 3:1, which is what makes the oil useful to formulators who need an omega-3 declaration without marine input. ALA is an essential fatty acid - the body cannot synthesise it - and is the only omega-3 with an established dietary reference intake in most jurisdictions. Thovek supplies the virgin grade produced by mechanical cold pressing with the seed held below 50 C, then settled and filtered without bleaching or deodorising, and a refined winterised grade for buyers who need a neutral odour and a lighter colour. Because the oil is roughly 80% polyunsaturated it oxidises quickly once air reaches it: every pack ships with a nitrogen headspace, and mixed natural tocopherols or a rosemary extract can be dosed in line at the buyer's specification. Natural tocopherol content in the unstabilised oil is reported at 480-600 mg/kg. Softgel filling is available in 500 mg and 1,000 mg fills, in bovine gelatin or in a vegetarian tapioca or HPMC shell. Commercially the origin story matters. The oil is wholly plant-derived, vegan and vegetarian, with no milk, egg, soy, fish, crustacean, gluten, peanut or tree nut input at any stage, and no bovine, porcine or marine material unless the buyer specifies a gelatin softgel shell. In the European Union, chia oil from Salvia hispanica is an authorised novel food entered on the Union list under Regulation (EU) 2017/2470, and the conditions of use for chia products have been widened by later amendments including Regulation (EU) 2020/24 - buyers should confirm the current conditions for their own food category before launching. Documentation supplied per lot includes a certificate of analysis with the full fatty acid profile, allergen and GMO statements, heavy metal and pesticide residue results, and a non-irradiation declaration.