Time for an oil change as Chia Bia bring Europe’s first plant based Omega 3 Chia Oil to market
Irish company become first in the world to introduce new sustainable and vegan source of Omega 3 to Europe
Following continued investment, Waterford based health-food company, Chia Bia have today launched Europe’s first plant based source of Omega 3 Chia oil. Chia Bia is one of only two companies in the world to introduce this sustainable and vegan alternative of Omega 3 with no fishy taste and are the first to bring the product to the European market. The launch took place at The Convention Centre Dublin with Kilkenny All-Star hurler and nutrition lecturer Michael Fennelly, 2016 Olympic hopeful Niall Tuohy and Nutritionist Rosanna Davison.
More commonly derived from fish oil, the introduction of the alternative plant based Omega 3 oil comes as part of the Tramore based company’s commitment to pioneer the ways in which Chia and its by-products can be brought to the consumer.
Before Chia Bia’s introduction of Chia Omega 3 oil, this derivative of the nutrient dense super seed was unavailable in Europe. Chia Bia worked closely with their main supplier of Chia seeds in South America and in early 2015 successfully secured approval from the European Novel Food Act to introduce Chia Oil to the European market.
The human body needs Omega 3 and Chia Oil is a unique and sustainable source of Omega 3 ALA which contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. A natural supplement, derived by an innovative process that cold presses Chia seeds, the oil is encapsulated in a small seaweed based capsule making it a vegan friendly source of Omega 3 that has no fishy taste.
Co-Founder and Chairman of Chia Bia, Barrie Rogers who discovered the nutrient-dense seed on a holiday to South America following a back-injury, explains “Having implemented stronger product development strategies over the past two years, the introduction of Chia Oil is something we have been working towards for some time.”
Since the company’s establishment in 2009, Chia Bia has grown exponentially seeing demand for its product range doubling every year. From launching in only 100 health stores in February 2010, the company now supplies over 2,000 outlets in the UK and Ireland and also to multiple markets across the world, such as the Nordics, Japan, Germany and the Middle East.
“It is no secret that we are becoming an increasingly health focused society and given Chia Bia seeds are rich in so many nutrients we are thrilled that our company has grown over the past number of years. To be in a position to introduce the benefits of Chia, in its different formats, to a larger audience is great,” says Barrie Rogers.
Having initially employed a team of just three staff, they now employ 36 people from across Waterford and the South East, contributing significantly to the local economy. The company source their seeds directly from farmers throughout South and Central America and in their state-of-the-art facility, stringent quality control processes are implemented. All batches of Chia are independently nutritionally analysed guaranteeing the highest standard of seeds are used in all Chia Bia products. Chia Bia Omega 3 Chia Oil is available from all leading retailers, health food stores and pharmacies.
For more information, please visit www.chiabia.com / @chiabiaseed / #ChiaBiaOil
