What is the difference between fish oil content and omega-3 content?
Direct answer
The fish oil content describes the amount of oil, the omega-3 content only the share of EPA, DHA and DPA within it. Two capsules with 1,000 mg of oil and two capsules with 1,000 mg of omega-3 are therefore not the same.
Two figures that sit next to each other on many labels and are regularly confused.
On this page
Why the two figures get confused
Fish oil is the carrier substance. Only part of it consists of the fatty acids commonly associated with omega-3. A label with a high fish oil content can therefore still contain little EPA and DHA.
Label reading aid
| Fish oil content | Amount of oil filled in |
|---|---|
| Omega-3 content | Sum of EPA, DHA and DPA |
| Concentration | Share of omega-3 fatty acids in the oil, in percent |
| Serving size | Reference unit for all figures |
Product data compared
Structured product disclosures — missing values stay visible.
| Fact | Value per product |
|---|---|
| Format | MVS Omega-3 KapselNORSAN Omega-3 Pure FlüssigZinzino BalanceOil+ Flüssig |
| Serving size | MVS Omega-3 2 KapselnNORSAN Omega-3 Pure 5 mlZinzino BalanceOil+ 10 ml |
| Total omega-3 per serving | MVS Omega-3 1000 mgNORSAN Omega-3 Pure 2000 mgZinzino BalanceOil+ 1400 mg |
| EPA per serving | MVS Omega-3 660 mgNORSAN Omega-3 Pure 1160 mgZinzino BalanceOil+ 700 mg |
| DHA per serving | MVS Omega-3 280 mgNORSAN Omega-3 Pure 760 mgZinzino BalanceOil+ 400 mg |
| DPA per serving | MVS Omega-3 60 mgNORSAN Omega-3 Pure Not publicly disclosedZinzino BalanceOil+ Not publicly disclosed |
| Concentration in the oil | MVS Omega-3 85 %NORSAN Omega-3 Pure 40 %Zinzino BalanceOil+ 30 % |
| Molecular form | MVS Omega-3 rTGNORSAN Omega-3 Pure TGZinzino BalanceOil+ TG |
| Capsule | MVS Omega-3 transparente KapselNORSAN Omega-3 Pure Not publicly disclosedZinzino BalanceOil+ Not publicly disclosed |
| Packaging | MVS Omega-3 einzeln versiegelte WochenportionenNORSAN Omega-3 Pure FlascheZinzino BalanceOil+ Flasche |
Values come from the reviewed product records. Missing values stay visible — they are not a quality judgement.
Why the confusion becomes expensive
Anyone comparing servings by fish oil content is comparing oil quantities. For the price per 1,000 mg of omega-3, EPA and DHA are what matter.
Checking a pack in four steps
- Find the serving size — not the capsule size.
- Add up EPA and DHA, not the fish oil content.
- Set concentration in relation to the serving.
- Calculate the price per 1,000 mg of omega-3.
How MVS handles this
MVS reports EPA, DHA and DPA separately per daily serving so the two figures are not mixed up.
Transparency & corrections
This article names its source, status and review date. If you find an error you can submit a correction — it is reviewed, never applied automatically.
- Author
- MVS Redaktion
- Scientific review
- Fachliche Prüfung MVS
- Published
- 2026-10-07
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-20