A UNIQUE Welsh milk brand, which uses pioneering scientific techniques to naturally boost the amount of Omega-3 in dairy products, is set to hit the shelves.

OM3 is the result of a collaboration between Pembrokeshire dairy farmer Will Prichard and scientists in Wales and Australia.

Omega-3 is an “essential” fatty acid and a vital component for human health. While it has been shown to help prevent certain diseases, Omega-3 is also believed to be beneficial to brain development in in babies and children.

But unlike most types of fats the human body can’t make Omega-3 and instead relies on getting its supply from food, with fish, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and leafy vegetables particularly good sources.

However, using groundbreaking technology to combine natural cattle feed with Omega-3 oil, it is now possible to produce milk which is naturally enriched with this essential fatty acid.

At the Royal Welsh Show later this month, Pembrokeshire dairy farmer Will Prichard will be launching OM3, a whole milk that has been naturally enriched with Omega-3.

Will, who farms near Fishguard, has been working with scientists at opposite ends of the world – at the University of Sydney in Australia and also in Wales.

Explains Will: “To enrich a product with Omega-3 it is usually added at processing level, but we are able to introduce it to the cow’s diet so that extra Omega-3 becomes naturally present in the milk, with the added benefit of improving the cow’s health.”

With help from Cywain – a project part funded by the Welsh Government created to bring added value to primary produce within the agricultural sector - Will has been able to take his project forward and create the OM3 brand.

He believes the technology that has created OM3 will enable people to easily boost their Omega-3 levels and pursue a healthier lifestyle.

“OM3 is a functional food for use in daily life for those who want to improve their health without changing their diet,” he said.

“I’ve always been interested in Omega 3 and its properties, and higher levels are already known to be found in dairy cattle managed in a predominantly grassland based system.”

OM3 is being processed and bottled locally in Haverfordwest by Mark Hunter Ltd, thus keeping the supply chain close to home too.

“We have been very lucky that through Cywain we have been able to access marketing and branding advice to create the OM3 brand and take it to the marketplace.”

Cywain manager, Myrddin Davies, said: “This is an exciting project and Cywain is delighted to be able to assist with the brand’s development and market research. As part of this, consumers visiting the Food Hall on the second day of the Royal Welsh Show will be able to try OM3’s milk and give the company important feedback.”