A dishonest burger marketing campaign

Jim Drouillard, professor of animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University, has developed…

Jim Drouillard, professor of animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University, has developed a technique that enriches ground beef with the fatty acids that have been shown to reduce heart disease, cholesterol and high blood pressure.

The technology to enrich ground beef with omega-3 fatty acids is a spinoff of flaxseed research Drouillard began in 1998, according to a news release.

Drouillard and his students studied flax for several of its omega-3 fatty acids that may suppress inflammation and reduce diabetes in cattle. Research showed that omega-3 levels dramatically increased in the cattle as more flaxseed was introduced into their diet.

Keeping the omega-3s from becoming saturated fats in cattle's digestive system is a challenge, however. Microorganisms in the rumen — the largest chamber in the cow's stomach — modify most of the ingested fats and turn them into saturated fats.

This causes ground beef to have low levels of omega-3s. Christian Alvarado Gilis, a doctoral candidate in animal sciences and industry, is researching how to improve omega-3 levels in cattle diets to further enhance the fat profile of beef.

According to Drouillard, substituting omega-3 fatty acids for saturated fats does not change the ground beef's flavor.

The enriched ground beef, named GreatO Premium Ground Beef, is being sold through a Manhattan, Kan.-based company and will be available mid-February at select retailers in Buffalo, N.Y. The product will be expanded to retailers and restaurants nationwide later this year.

A quarter-pound hamburger made of the enriched ground beef has 200 milligrams of omega-3s and tastes the same as regular ground beef, Drouillard said in a news release. Nutritionists recommend between 1,200-1,600 milligrams daily.