Icelandic cod liver oil manufacturer True Westfjords has launched Dropi cod liver oil, which is extracted in a way that recreates ancient cold-process techniques used by the Scandinavian nation’s Viking settlers. The company aimed to create cod liver oil in its rawest form to assure the retention of long-recognized health benefits.
 
Vikings were the first civilization to extract oil from the livers of deep-sea Atlantic cod for the means of boosting overall health and vitality. The tradition, over the course of generations, remained an element of health routines in Nordic areas and other norther European coastal communities.
 
Cod liver oil is a potent source of vitamins A and D, as well as a full spectrum of omega-3 fatty acids, most prominently EPA, DHA, and DPA.
 
“Our ancestors knew something about the beneficial qualities of cod liver oil even before it came under scientific scrutiny—and they knew how to glean its full value,” said Óttar Kristinn Bjarnason, director of sales and marketing for True Westfjords. “We source our cod liver exclusively from the local daily wild catch of fresh fish that swim in the deep blue waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, one of the cleanest fishing grounds in the world. We have a close relationship with the local fishermen, on whom we depend to supply us with fresh cod livers as we complete the oil extraction process within 24 hours of receiving them.”
 
The fishermen work off the coast of Bolungarvik, situated in the Westfjords of Iceland, known as one of the country’s oldest fishing communities. The oil is extracted exclusively through cold processing to preserve the natural composition of fatty acids and vitamins. The content of these compounds is then confirmed via third-party testing at labs in Denmark and Germany. Natural antioxidants are added to the oil as a preservative in order to avoid rancidity.
 
One 5 ml serving of cod liver oil contains 13 mcg of vitamin D3, 1,130 mcg of vitamin A, and 1,200 mcg of omega-3 fatty acids.
 
“Content varies slightly from batch to batch, depending on the size of the fish, but mostly on their diet,” said Bjarnason. “We once extracted orange oil because that particular catch of cod were fed on krill.” Consuming just a teaspoon of this highest-quality cod liver oil provides nearly all your daily requirements for vitamins A and D, and well more than the minimum suggested amount of total omega 3s.
 
Dropi’s Story
 
The creation of Dropi began as an MBA project in 2012 at the University of Iceland. The three women who led the project, Anna Sigríður Jörundsdóttir, Birgitta Baldursdóttir, and Sigrún Sigurðardóttir, subsequently founded True Westfjords.
 
“We were alarmed by how far away industrial CLO [cod liver oil] production processes had steered from its source,” states Jörundsdóttir. “We felt compelled to take this vital elixir back to the natural way our ancestors made it, even though it entails a more arduous process. We apply very gentle extraction, so the oil is not boiled or overheated and does not lose any of its innate, highly extolled nutrients. This also removes the need for any fortification with additives.”
 
In cooperation with food processing consultants Matis Ohf, True Westfjords invested three years of research and development into Dropi’s formulation before going to market. While cod liver oil has long been recognized for its benefits, its inherent fishy overtones have made it somewhat difficult to enjoy for some consumers.
 
Dropi comes in a range of flavors, each infused with natural extracts of ginger, fennel, mandarin, or spearmint to overcome any flavor challenges. Dropi is also available in a capsule format. All True Westfjords CLO products are considered raw and are manufactured according to European standards of Good Manufacturing Practice, known as HACCP.
 
While Dropi is available at all stores in Iceland, its biggest platform is Amazon, followed by other online retailers in the U.S.
 
“We continue to expand Dropi’s reach internationally and have distributors in Europe and the US, the current largest global market for fish oils,” says Bjarnason. “We have also begun negotiations with retail outlets and distributors in other regions.”