How is krill oil harvested?

Krill oil is one of the most popular supplements on the market, credited for its numerous health benefits. Yet, have you ever wondered how this mystical liquid comes to be? Well, grab your snorkel and flippers, because today we’re diving deep into the world of krill oil harvesting.

What is Krill?

Before we can understand the intricacies of marine life plundering (er…harvesting), let’s first take a look at what exactly krill is! Krill are tiny crustaceans that form a large part of many animal diets in aquatic environments. They grow up to about 6 cm long and thrive in cold waters with high levels of phytoplankton – their primary food source.

A History Lesson

You may be surprised to learn that humans have been using krill as a food source for centuries- not just extracting their precious oils! In Japan, salmon roe has traditionally been served on rice cakes topped with dried baby shrimp or small prawns called sakura ebi(桜えび)in winter when trout fishing near Mt.Tsurugi area from October till March produces high quality fish full eggs!
Meanwhile, Norwegian fishermen would use finely ground-up krill meal as bait in cod fishing.

The Extraction Process

Ready Your Equipment!

Nowadays though ,the industry surrounding krill oil harvesting has expanded greatly -with more sophisticated equipments than simply using rough net-like tools and dark basins(no offense to our ancestors). The extraction process begins by capturing live krills straight from ocean waters by commercial ships . These boats travel out into deep sea environments where they aim for breeding areas densely packed together.

Once caught, these little guys are transported back onboard- alive and kicking!(Metaphorically speaking) At this point it’s important they remain fresh so quick processing is required to prevent any rot or decay.

Removing the Oil

The next step of harvesting krill oil involves extracting the rich liquid from their tissues. This process can be done on board in efficient facilities with designated mechanical devices, rather than sifting them one-by-one through a kitchen strainer (but hey- whatever works right?).

There are two main ways this can be achieved:

Method 1: Using Solvents

Here, krill are converted into “krill meal” where organic solvents like hexane extract all oils from krills and later removed after boiling off the solvent.
While effective, we choose not to use these methods as they come with environmental concerns

Method 2 : No Solvent Extraction

Non-solvent extraction processes is what most companies nowadays prefer- for its eco-friendly nature. This method uses a well-designed refining device and filtering equipments that apply pressure to separate oils and lipids from remaining debris post finally processed meals.

Refining Process

Once extracted ,the crude oil must undergo additional treatments before becoming ready-to-use!
These refinements consist of removing impurities while protecting beneficial qualities by Carbon treatment for approximately five hours -and sometimes using nitrogen blanketing (sounds fun doesn’t it?)

After purifcation comes concentration stage utilizing heat-stripping system in distillation column.(Is it hot in here or just me?) Both equipment used are designed specifically so as not to harm nutritional values or chemical composition inherent in raw form .

The Final Product

Packaging & Distribution

Now that our krill oil has undergone extensive purification routines -it needs its fancy attire..We’re talking bottles,different shapes,sizes,labeling ,brand designs,the whole package!(No pun intended) Most bottled products have typical transparent gelatin encapsulation; However nowshdays you may find vegetable-based ones too.

Once packaged up looking snazzy- our liquid magic must be distributed to store shelves! Here, various means of transportation such as shipment carries products which are sent globally.

Uses For Krill Oil

In Medicine & Supplements

The health benefits attributed to krill oil have gained a following in today’s world. It contains high levels of Omega-3 and nutrients that improve brain function, mood regulation,heart health ,premenstral symptoms,and pain relief!

As A Food Source

Although it may not come up in your daily dinner conversations much -processed krill powder is used already exists utilized for the creation of sports protein supplements

Conclusion

Well folks, there you have it- an insight into how these tiny creatures bring something so beneficial.The next time you stop by a tech-savvy supermarket or vitamin stores boasting about their plethora of “buzz-worthy” dietary options-take a moment and recognize the effort,painstaking job gone through just trying to cultivate those goodness-emitting krills..

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