1 Identity

IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards)

Nutrasource Diagnostics
Fish oil-specific purity, potency, and freshness testing
Clinical pearl for practitioners
IFOS is THE gold standard for fish oil quality — testing potency (EPA/DHA content), purity (heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins), and critically, FRESHNESS (oxidation markers: peroxide value, anisidine value, TOTOX) [1]. Fish oil oxidation is a major quality issue — rancid fish oil may be harmful and is certainly ineffective. IFOS awards a 5-star rating system based on how far above WHO/GOED standards a product tests. Products with 5 stars exceed all international standards by a significant margin. IFOS is the only major certification program specifically designed for fish oil [1].
3 How to verify
1
1
Look for the official IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) mark on product packaging [1].
2
2
Go to the IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) product lookup [1].
3
3
Enter the full product name including strength/flavor. Verify exact match [1].
4
4
Check that certification is current and active, not expired [1].
5
!
If a product displays the IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) mark but is not in the database, it may be fraudulent. Contact the certifying body [1].
4 Fraud detection
GENUINE SIGNS
✓ Official IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) mark on label [1]
✓ Product in official database [1]
FAKE SIGNS
✕ Mark not matching official design [1]
✕ Product not in database [1]
5 Expert guidance
Clinical relevance
IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) provides quality assurance relevant to clinical practice. See overview for specifics [1].
Dispensing guidance
IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) is a trustworthy quality indicator. See overview for details on what is and is not tested [1].
What it means
See overview for plain-language explanation of IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) [1].
6 Overview
IFOS is THE gold standard for fish oil quality — testing potency (EPA/DHA content), purity (heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins), and critically, FRESHNESS (oxidation markers: peroxide value, anisidine value, TOTOX) [1]. Fish oil oxidation is a major quality issue — rancid fish oil may be harmful and is certainly ineffective. IFOS awards a 5-star rating system based on how far above WHO/GOED standards a product tests. Products with 5 stars exceed all international standards by a significant margin. IFOS is the only major certification program specifically designed for fish oil [1].
7 What it tests
See overview for testing scope [1].
12 Connected ingredients
12 ingredients recommend this certification.
Fish Oil (general)Krill OilMCT OilOmega-3 DHAAlgae Oil DHAEvening Primrose OilCLAFlaxseed OilGLAHemp Seed OilCoconut Oil (MCT source)Omega-3 EPA
13 References
[1]Nutrasource. IFOS Program. 2024. certifications.nutrasource.ca
[2]Albert BB, et al. Fish oil supplements in New Zealand are highly oxidised. Sci Rep. 2015;5:7928. doi:10.1038/srep07928
14 Cite this page
Vancouver
Pkhakadze G. IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) [] — certification profile [Internet]. Tbilisi: Public Health Institute of Georgia; 2026 [cited 2026 May 30]. Available from: https://supplement.ge/labels/ifos-international-fish-oil-standards/
CC BY 4.0
15 Related labels
Related labels will be linked as more entries are built.
GP
Reviewed by Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD
Editor-in-Chief, GMJ · Chair, PHIG
IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards) is a trademark of Nutrasource Diagnostics. This entry is for educational purposes under nominative fair use. For corrections: info@accreditation.ge.
Publisher: PHIG