How to read EPA and DHA on a fish oil label

By Tom Francis·Updated 2026-09-03·3 sources·Editorial policy

Step one: ignore the front of pack

Almost every fish oil leads with a figure like 1000mg, and that is the weight of oil in the capsule rather than the omega 3 in the oil.

Fish oil is a mixture. EPA and DHA are two fatty acids within it and their proportion varies with the fish, the processing and whether the oil has been concentrated. Two 1000mg softgels can differ threefold in what actually matters, which is why the front tells you nothing on its own.

Step two: find EPA and DHA on the panel

They are listed separately, in milligrams, on the nutrition panel. Both should be there. A product stating a total omega 3 figure without splitting out EPA and DHA has left out the part that determines whether any claim applies, because total omega 3 includes other fatty acids that do not count towards the threshold.

Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil states 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA per mini softgel, both printed separately, which is what makes the rest of this possible.

Step three: check what the figures refer to

This is where most comparisons go wrong. Panel figures may be per capsule, per two capsules or per three, and the serving size is stated at the top of the panel rather than alongside each number.

A product quoting 300mg combined per three capsules is a different proposition from one quoting the same figure per capsule. It triples the daily capsule count, triples the real cost per day, and cuts the pack duration to a third.

Step four: add them and compare to 250mg

Add EPA and DHA together. That total is what the authorised heart claim is measured against, and the claim states the beneficial effect is obtained at a daily intake of 250mg of combined EPA and DHA.

Divide 250 by the per capsule total and round up for the daily capsule count. Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil provides 300mg combined per softgel, so one clears it. That is unusual at standard strength and it is the difference between a 90 day tub and a 30 day one.

Step five: the DHA figure separately

DHA carries its own claims for the maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision, and each requires 250mg of DHA on its own rather than combined.

Standard strength fish oils do not reach that. Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil carries 120mg of DHA, so neither claim applies to it and neither appears anywhere on this site in connection with it. A product claiming brain benefits at 120mg of DHA is going beyond what the register allows.

Step six: form, testing and shell

Oil form should be stated: natural triglyceride, ethyl ester or re esterified triglyceride. Futuro Labs Omega 3 Fish Oil is an ethyl ester, which is the common form at standard concentrations, and the differences reported between forms are modest at these doses.

Contaminant testing matters more for a fish oil than for most products, because the contaminants of concern accumulate up the marine food chain. Look for heavy metal and microbiological testing, ideally per batch. And check the shell if you avoid gelatin, because a fish oil in a bovine gelatin softgel is unsuitable for vegetarians on two separate counts.

The whole check

• Ignore the fish oil weight on the front of the pack.
• Find EPA and DHA separately on the nutrition panel.
• Check whether the figures are per capsule or per two or three.
• Add them together for combined EPA and DHA.
• Divide 250 by that total for the daily capsule count.
• Check the DHA figure separately against 250mg if brain claims are being made.
• Check the oil form and what contaminant testing is stated.
• Check the shell material, and divide pack price by servings for cost per day.

Where to go next

• How many fish oil capsules a day for a rugby player?The conversion table, and why the answer depends on the product.
• Omega 3 on a club rugby budgetHow capsule count changes the real cost of a tub.
• How to read a supplement labelThe general method across all four products.

Questions players ask

Sources

• EFSA register of nutrition and health claims
• Food supplements guidance, gov.uk
• National Diet and Nutrition Survey, gov.uk