Ahiflower oil is extracted from the seeds of the Buglossoides arvensis plant which is rich with up to 20% stearidonic acid (SDA). A nutritionally-important fatty acid in the omega-3 family, SDA has a wide range of potential uses including nutritional supplements, foods and personal care products.
Buglossoides arvensis grows as both an annual and a biennial in habit and is a member of the Boraginaceae family. It is planted in early spring or in the autumn and takes from 100 – 150 days to reach maturity. The plant grows to a height of more than 60cm and has multiple flowering points. Each flower can produce four seeds which are held tightly in the plant until harvest. Seeds contain approximately 20% oil, of which approximately 20% is stearidonic acid (SDA) and 5% is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), in addition to other beneficial fatty acids.
Nature’s Crops International manages the commercial crop production of Ahiflower® through contracts with our growers in North America and Europe, who only grow registered varieties from our own selection and breeding program. The oil is processed to demanding standards to comply with NCI’s proprietary Crop Assured 365® system of quality control and traceability protocols.
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