New GreatO Premium Ground Beef Enriched with Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Thanks to Kansas State University professor of animal sciences and industry, Jim Drouillard, people can soon enjoy a healthy diet, including a hamburger rich with omega-3 fatty acids.

Drouillard and researchers developed a technique that enriches ground beef with omega-3 fatty acids, otherwise known as acids that have been shown to reduce heart disease, cholesterol and high blood pressure. He's calling it GreatO Premium Ground Beef and it's currently available in the Manhattan, Kan. based company NBO3 Technologies LLC. It will also be available mid-February at select retailers in Buffalo, N.Y., expanding to leading retailers and restaurants nationwide later within the year.

The technology to enrich the ground beef with omega-3s has been used in Drouillard's previous research involving flaxseed back in 1998. He helped students investigate several omega-3 fatty acids that may suppress inflammation and reduce diabetes in cattle. The research showed that omega-3 levels dramatically increased in the cattle as more flaxseed was introduced into their diet.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish and plant oils. However, the U.S. currently does not have a recommended daily intake of omega-3s, though many doctors and nutritionists recommended a consumption between 1,200-1,600 milligrams daily, depending on age and health according to Science Daily.

"As a society, Americans' consumption of fish, especially fish that contributes to these omega-3 fats, is quite low compared to other proteins," Drouillard said in a press release. "Reasons for this include cost, access to fish and personal preference. Americans do, however, like hamburgers. So if we can give people a hamburger that is rich in omega-3s, it's an alternative form of a product that they already eat and does not require a lifestyle change, which is difficult to make." 

A quarter-pound hamburger composed of the enriched beef would have approximately 200 milligrams of omega-3s and tastes the same as regular ground beef, according to Drouillard, making the beef an attractive alternative for people who want to adjust their omega-3 fatty acids intake but do not want fish or supplements to do so.