A fish that would otherwise go overboard
Skate is a flat cartilaginous fish, related to the shark. In the cod fishery in Alaska, skate is caught as bycatch in the nets. Green Pasture uses the livers of that skate for this liver oil, so that part of the fish that would otherwise be lost is still put to use. Because it is bycatch, the skate liver oil itself is not MSC-certified according to Green Pasture, unlike the cod liver oil.
Skate or cod
The skate liver oil is made in the same way as the cod liver oil: the livers are fermented with salt, without heat, after which the oil is filtered off. Both are naturally rich in vitamins A and D and omega-3 fatty acids. Some people find skate liver oil more pleasant or tolerate it better; others prefer cod.
Vitamin A and other supplements
Cod liver oil naturally contains retinol, a form of vitamin A. Green Pasture does not state the amount, because it differs from batch to batch. So do not combine cod liver oil with other supplements containing vitamin A, and during pregnancy only use it after consulting your midwife.
Fermented skate liver oil in capsules
Green Pasture's Blue Ice Fermented Skate Liver Oil in capsule form is made from the livers of sustainably wild-caught Alaskan skate. Green Pasture liver oil is fermented the traditional way, a natural, mild and enzymatic process that is carried out very carefully. The end product is a pure, raw liver oil without additives that is naturally a source of vitamins and essential fatty acids. The nutritional properties of liver oil made from cod and from skate are identical. Some people find that skate liver oil suits them better, while others prefer cod liver oil.
Why use cod liver oil?
Cod liver oil has become popular again for daily use. Green Pasture's fermented cod liver oil is naturally rich in vitamins A and D and in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Vitamin A contributes to the normal process of cell specialisation and to the maintenance of normal vision, normal skin and normal mucous membranes, and to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin D contributes to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus, to the maintenance of normal bones, teeth and muscle function, has a role in the process of cell division and contributes to the normal function of the immune system. EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart, and DHA to the maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision, with a daily intake of 250 mg.
Weston A. Price and Activator X
In his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Weston A. Price describes how the Swiss long particularly valued the butter of cows in spring. During this period cows eat fast-growing grass. In the butter of this spring milk, Price found a substance he called Activator X. Today that substance is often associated with vitamin K2. Price also believed that butterfat and cod liver oil complemented each other. That idea prompted Green Pasture to create its product line of butter oil, fermented cod liver oil and combinations of both.
Benefits
High-quality liver oil fermented the traditional way. Made from sustainably wild-caught Alaskan skate. Source of vitamins A and D and omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA and DHA. Green Pasture works with the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF).
Green Pasture's fermented cod liver oil
The use of fermented fish products has a long history in many traditional cultures. Green Pasture uses the same centuries-old fermentation method to obtain liver oil. Without synthetic additives, the livers are mixed with salt and broth, after which the whole ferments for a few months before the oil is extracted. Green Pasture's liver oil products carry the MSC label, thanks to the sustainable fishing techniques of fishing partner Alaskan Leader Seafood.
Essential fatty acids of sustainable quality
For Green Pasture, quality and care for the environment go hand in hand. The company works with the Weston A. Price Foundation and sets high standards for quality and environmental protection for all its partners. During the production process, from raw material to end product, various independent quality tests take place. Green Pasture is unique in its use of a mild, centuries-old, traditional fermentation technique that preserves natural antioxidants in the cod liver oil and means no heat has to be used. For its Fermented Cod Liver Oil, Green Pasture received the MSC label, which so far has been awarded to only a handful of fish oil companies worldwide.
About Green Pasture
Green Pasture is a family business based in Nebraska, founded in 2003 by Dave and Barbara Wetzel. A few years earlier they had decided to live closer to nature with their family and start a dairy farm. They came across Weston A. Price's ideas about vitamin-rich butter oil from the milk of grass-fed cows and began making Concentrated Butter Oil. In 2007 Green Pasture expanded its product line with fermented skate and cod liver oil. In 2012 David and Barbara received the Distinguished Entrepreneur Award from Nebraska.
