The raw material for the production of omega-3 oils is typically
represented by fish oils. Most of the fatty acid chains in fish oil
∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +46 0 31 772 2989; fax: +46 0 31 772 2995.
E-mail addresses: maschietti@hotmail.com, marcom@chalmers.se
(M. Maschietti).
triglycerides have a number of carbon atoms ranging from 14 to
22, being PUFA more abundant in the longest chains. By simply
selecting fish naturally rich in omega-3 (e.g., sardine, anchovies,
mackerel, herring, menhaden, etc.), crude oil containing EPA+ DHA
from 10% to 25% can be obtained [6]. Since a considerable enrichment
in a specific fatty acid cannot be achieved on a triglyceride
feedstock, fractionation processes are usually performed on fish oil
ethyl esters (FOEE), preliminary obtained by transesterification of
fish oils.