It's been scientifically proven. Fish is good for you. But some people can't stand its smell or taste. So what about taking the part of the fish that's good for you, without the smell and taste, and putting it into other food? Such as bread.

"Having components of fish in bread is a fantastic idea. It has got some very powerful effects on the heart and on the circulation and on blood clotting. And having two fish meals a week is the way to go, but if not, having the fortified bread would be a terrific boost."

Manny Noakes is a nutritionist with Australia's science agency CSIRO, where her colleagues have put fish oil into this bread. A component called DHA, found specifically in tuna, is not only good for your heart, it helps with learning disorders, dyslexia and infant development, and there's no shortage of it.

"The fish was being cooked in the canning process and the oil was draining out and being lost as a waste product. It was either being put into boilers to be burnt as fuel or alternatively it was being dumped at sea."

So these oils were pulled apart to see what they were made up of chemically, particularly the beneficial Omega 3's, then processed and refined by the Clover Corporation. Luz Sanguansri at CSIRO's Food Science Division was then given the job of disguising that taste and smell, by trapping the oil inside a mixture of protein, sugar and carbohydrate. She succeeded in creating a fine, tasteless and odourless powder, which has already been successful put into bread and baby's formula.

But there's no limit to the uses of this good oil, which will soon be used in pasta, margarine and even ice cream.

Dr. Peter Nichols
CSIRO Marine Research
GPO Box 1538
Hobart TAS 7001 peter.nichols@csiro.au