Marine Microalgae Oil

Algae oil is the original source of the DHA found in fish. Because it comes from algae, contaminants such as mercury are very low or undetectable, and it is a sustainable product.

Marine microalgae oil is oil from single-celled sea algae, used in cat food mainly as a source of DHA. Tufts veterinary nutritionists list products made from algae among the sources of EPA and DHA, and they say cats cannot make these omega-3s from plant ALA. For a cat with a medical condition, ask your veterinarian before changing its food.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

It is an oil extracted from microscopic marine algae. Fish get their DHA by eating algae like these, so the oil supplies DHA without coming from fish. Cat food makers add it as an omega-3 source. Pettings notes that tested mercury levels in algae oil are very low or undetectable, and that the algae can be grown without drawing on wild fish stocks.

That depends on the algae strain. Many algae oils used in pet food are mostly DHA, while some strains also yield a meaningful amount of EPA. A label that just says marine microalgae oil does not tell you the split. If the guaranteed analysis lists DHA or EPA separately, those figures are the best guide to what a particular food contains.

Algae oil does not come from fish, so it is not a fish ingredient. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists fish among the common food allergen sources in cats. If your cat avoids fish, check the full ingredient list, because many foods with algae oil also contain fish meal or fish oil. Your veterinarian can confirm whether a specific food fits an allergy diet.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Marine microalgae oil gets 5 out of 5 from Pettings, which lists it as a fish or algae oil. It shows up on 4 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. Each food's page shows how the whole recipe scores, so one ingredient score is only part of the picture.