Page 23 - Summer 2019 Journal

served in the body (less than 5 percent), they do have an effect in the foods themselves—protect- ing fatty acids from degradation.
An analysis by the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Ne- braska found that the ORAC score of fermented cod liver oil was especially high, not only in comparison with other foods but compared with other brands of cod liver oil (see Table 1).8 The measured antioxidants are naturally occurring, from marine algae and the fermentation process; they are not antioxidants added after extraction of the oil.
In a recent study, researchers heated four brands of cod liver oil, including one brand of fermented cod liver oil, to 180 degrees C for up to ninety minutes. The concentrations of lipid oxidation products (LOPs), namely aldehyde, increased in each of the oils, with the lowest level of increase in the fermented cod liver oil. The “enhanced peroxidative resistivity” of the fermented cod liver oil product over the non-fermented samples was ascribed “to much higher levels of chain-breaking antioxidants (reflected by elevated ORAC values), and par- ticularly aldehydic LOP-neutralizing amines” in the fermented cod liver oil.9
CAN COD LIVERS BE FERMENTED?
A legitimate concern about fermented cod liver oil is whether livers can even be fermented. Of course, it is not the oil that is fermented, but the livers, so that during the fermentation pro-
cess the oil is released from the cells.
Cod livers contain between 1-2 grams of carbohydrate for every 100 grams of liver. The
question is, can a food with such a low level of carbohydrate undergo lactic-acid fermentation? (It should be noted that proteins and lipids are also affected by the fermentation process, the former converted to bio- genic amines and ammonia, the latter to free fatty acids and glycerol.)
The answer is yes. Typical fermentation processes require only 0.62 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram to lower the pH by 0.1 pH units. Based on a finding of 1 to 2 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams of liver, this would give rise to a total drop in pH between 1.6 and 3.2 pH units. Assuming that cod livers have a neutral pH of approximately 7.0, the natural levels of carbohydrate they contain would be sufficient to lower the pH of the final fermented product to between 3.8 and 5.4 pH units.10
The process of extracting the oil from the cod livers begins with the addition of frozen cod livers to fermentation vats along with a starter culture and salt. The vats are then sealed and allowed to ferment. This process produces three distinct layers in the vats. At the bottom of the vat is the water that is separated from the cod livers during fermentation. The solid liver material and sediment float in the middle. An oil layer forms on top of the solids and sediment.
After the fermentation is complete, the top oil layer is extracted from the fermentation vat and centrifuged to remove all remaining water, sedi- ment and liver material. This process not only removes the water from the oil, but also the water-soluble lactic acid (although traces of lactic, propionic and acetic acid may remain in the oil).
The pH of the water layer (brine) at the end of the fermentation pro- cess has been tested by MidWest Laboratories and found to be between 4.8 and 5.04. These pH values fall well within the normal pH levels accepted for the fermentation of raw meat products. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), raw fermented sausages are only moderately acidic with a pH range of 5.0-5.5 and are safe for human consumption. The pH of safe cheese ranges between 4.8 and 6.0. The measured pH of the fermented cod liver oil itself ranges between 5.2 and 6.0.
WHY COD LIVER OIL?
The diet of healthy traditional peoples contained high levels of vita-
mins A and D from frequent consumption of liver and other organ meats,
PRODUCTION OF EXTRA-VIRGIN AND VIRGIN COD LIVER OIL
EXTRA-VIRGIN COD LIVER OIL (EVCLO): In addition to fermentation, another natural way of removing the oil from cod livers takes advantage of the fact that a slight rise in temperature will cause the livers to release oil. Production of EVCLO begins with placing the livers in a dark, oxygen-free holding tank and then raising the temperature to slightly higher than the ocean temperature. Separation of the oil from the livers then takes place using a decanter, and contaminants are removed by a proprietary cold filtering process. Natural rosemary and full-spectrum vitamin E are added to increase shelf life and prevent oxidation. This process preserves the natural vitamins A and D in cod liver oil.
VIRGIN COD LIVER OIL (VCLO): A description of virgin cod liver oil production has been difficult to obtain. The pre-2010 Now Foods website described the process as including “winterization, distillation, blending, drumming, and bottling. . .
conducted in a manner that ensures the product is carefully processed to concentrate the healthy long chain omega-3 EPA and DHA fatty acids while removing any unwanted environmental chemicals and retaining the naturally occurring Vitamins A and D.”13
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