BASF is attempting to produce Omega-3 oil in oil-producing crops such as rapeseed and canola Photo: BASF

BASF Plant Science is to actively target crops with higher nutritional values, the company announced at its Metanomics plant in Berlin, Germany last month.  

Healthy fatty acids such as Omega-3 are required for growth and may also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but are not produced naturally in the human body.

With more pressure being placed on the production of fish, the most common source of healthy fatty acids, BASF is attempting to produce Omega-3 oil in oil-producing crops such as rapeseed and canola, by introducing genes from algae.

Trials are currently at the greenhouse stage, where BASF has had “promising results”, it says. Cultivation is expected towards the end of the next decade.
By Simon Varcoe

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