# Omega-3 Label Audit: EPA+DHA per Softgel and per Dollar

Canonical: https://supplementexplained.com/quality/omega-3-label-value-audit/
Last modified: 2026-10-15T07:36:56+00:00
Publisher: Supplement Explained
Review model: Editorial review; medical review only when explicitly documented on the canonical page.

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Published October 9, 2026 / Supplement Explained

Compare fish oils by the EPA and DHA they supply, not by total fish-oil weight. In this four-product sample, EPA+DHA ranges from 300 to 1,000 mg per softgel. The cost table uses grams of EPA+DHA in the whole bottle and dated, pack-matched prices.

EPA+DHA per softgel

CGN Omega-3

**300 mg**

Ultimate Omega

**550 mg**

NOW Ultra Omega-3

**750 mg**

Ultimate Omega 2X

**1000 mg**

Bars start at zero. Values are also available in the tables and CSV.

## The quantity that changes the comparison

 

The four labels in this sample declare between 600 and 2,000 mg of EPA+DHA per labeled serving. After accounting for the serving size, the range is 300 to 1,000 mg per softgel. The larger serving amount is partly a formula difference and partly a one-softgel versus two-softgel comparison.

 

For plant-derived shopping, our comparison of [ALA versus the EPA and DHA in algae oil](https://supplementexplained.com/compare/algae-oil-vs-flaxseed-oil/) explains why flaxseed-oil grams cannot be substituted directly into this EPA+DHA calculation.

 

When swallowing matters as much as price, our [mini fish oil pill comparison](https://supplementexplained.com/quality/small-fish-oil-pills/) adds serving count and size-claim limits to the EPA+DHA comparison.

 

For example, NOW Ultra Omega-3 supplies 500 mg EPA and 250 mg DHA in one softgel: 750 mg combined. California Gold Nutrition's reviewed two-softgel serving supplies 360 mg EPA and 240 mg DHA: 600 mg combined, or 300 mg in each softgel. The latter's 2,200 mg fish-oil amount per serving is not 2,200 mg of EPA+DHA.

 

Nordic Ultimate Omega declares 1,280 mg total omega-3s but 1,100 mg EPA+DHA. The remaining declared omega-3s are not included in our EPA+DHA cost denominator. Keeping these three quantities separate prevents inflated value claims.

 

## Four exact packs, compared consistently

 

EPA and DHA are milligrams per labeled serving

| Product / pack | Serving / servings | EPA / DHA | EPA+DHA | Per softgel |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Nordic Ultimate Omega](https://supplementexplained.com/products/nordic-naturals-ultimate-omega/)60 lemon softgels | 2 softgel(s)30 servings | 650 / 450 mg | 1100 mg | 550 mg |
| [NOW Ultra Omega-3](https://supplementexplained.com/products/now-ultra-omega-3-fish-oil/)180 bovine-gelatin softgels | 1 softgel(s)180 servings | 500 / 250 mg | 750 mg | 750 mg |
| [California Gold Nutrition Omega-3](https://supplementexplained.com/products/california-gold-nutrition-omega-3-premium-fish-oil/)240 fish-gelatin softgels | 2 softgel(s)120 servings | 360 / 240 mg | 600 mg | 300 mg |
| [Nordic Ultimate Omega 2X](https://supplementexplained.com/products/nordic-naturals-ultimate-omega-2x/)60 lemon softgels | 2 softgel(s)30 servings | 1125 / 875 mg | 2000 mg | 1000 mg |

 

The quantity column is not a recommended daily dose. These products differ in oil sources, formulation, coating, and added ingredients; identical EPA+DHA totals do not make the whole products interchangeable. See [fish-oil label math](https://supplementexplained.com/quality/fish-oil-label-math/) for the basic reading rules.

 

## Cost per gram of EPA+DHA

 

The bottle price has to be divided by the EPA+DHA supplied by the whole bottle. Dividing by fish-oil grams instead would make a less concentrated oil look cheaper for a quantity it does not actually provide as EPA+DHA.

 

Price snapshots normalized to EPA+DHA, not total fish-oil weight

| Product / pack | Price and date | Per serving | Per gram EPA+DHA |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Nordic Ultimate Omega](https://supplementexplained.com/products/nordic-naturals-ultimate-omega/)60 lemon softgels | $29.95Nordic Naturals / 2026-10-09 | $1.00 | $0.91 |
| [NOW Ultra Omega-3](https://supplementexplained.com/products/now-ultra-omega-3-fish-oil/)180 bovine-gelatin softgels | $33.12HerbsPro / 2026-10-02 | $0.18 | $0.25 |
| [Nordic Ultimate Omega 2X](https://supplementexplained.com/products/nordic-naturals-ultimate-omega-2x/)60 lemon softgels | $52.95Nordic Naturals / 2026-10-09 | $1.76 | $0.88 |

 

Nordic's two prices are manufacturer one-time U.S. prices checked October 9, 2026. NOW's matched HerbsPro price is an October 2 snapshot. California Gold Nutrition is left unpriced because we did not verify a comparable current U.S. pack price. Tax, shipping, coupons, and subscriptions are excluded. These are dated examples, not a cheapest-store search or price feed.

 

### The calculation, step by step

 

**EPA+DHA per serving = EPA + DHA.** **Total bottle grams = servings x EPA+DHA per serving / 1,000.** **Cost per gram = bottle price / total bottle grams.**

 

For NOW's 180-softgel bottle, 180 x 750 / 1,000 = 135 g of labeled EPA+DHA. The $33.12 snapshot therefore works out to approximately $0.25 per gram. Dividing $33.12 by 180 gives approximately $0.18 per one-softgel serving.

 

Ultimate Omega's 60-softgel pack contains 30 servings x 1,100 mg = 33 g EPA+DHA. At $29.95, that is approximately $0.91 per gram. Ultimate Omega 2X's 60-softgel pack contains 60 g EPA+DHA; at $52.95, it is approximately $0.88 per gram. A more expensive bottle can have a slightly lower normalized cost. This is a quantity comparison, not a claim that 2X is the better choice for every reader.

 

## What our arithmetic cannot tell you

 
- **Purity and oxidation:** a label amount is not a measurement of contaminants, peroxide value, or freshness.
- **Specific lot evidence:** a certificate describes its identified batch and methods, not every bottle a brand has ever sold.
- **Tolerability:** coating, softgel size, fish source, and your response may matter more than a small price difference.
- **Clinical suitability:** normalized cost does not establish a treatment effect or replace prescription omega-3 therapy.

 

For transparency, Nordic publishes a certificate for Ultimate Omega 2X lot 260130, with a two-softgel serving and an October 2028 expiration date. Its listed EPA and DHA specifications are 1,125 and 875 mg per serving. We used that publicly identified record as a cross-check, not as our own laboratory test or proof about the lot a retailer will ship.

 

California Gold Nutrition also has public iTested reports, including a January 2023 report for CGN-01330 lot B22056-6. That historical report supports the distinction between a label claim and a measured batch result; it does not certify a newly purchased 2026 bottle. Check the lot and date rather than treating an old PDF as current shipment evidence.

 

If you take anticoagulants, have surgery planned, or are considering high-dose omega-3 for a medical condition, discuss the product with your clinician. NIH's overview separates supplement use from prescription treatment and discusses safety at higher intakes. Our [fish-oil quality checklist](https://supplementexplained.com/quality/fish-oil-quality-checklist/) explains the checks beyond EPA+DHA arithmetic.

 

## Read the individual product reviews

 

Review the pack, formulation, and tradeoffs before following a retailer offer. The reviews may contain affiliate links; [affiliate disclosure](https://supplementexplained.com/affiliate-disclosure/).

 

![NOW Ultra Omega-3 Fish Oil product pack](https://supplementexplained.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/now-ultra-omega-3-fish-oil-product-photo-768x768.webp)

### NOW Ultra Omega-3 Fish Oil

Ultra Omega-3 · 180 enteric-coated softgels

[Read the product review](https://supplementexplained.com/products/now-ultra-omega-3-fish-oil/)

![Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega product pack](https://supplementexplained.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nordic-naturals-ultimate-omega-product-photo-768x768.webp)

### Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega

Ultimate Omega · Lemon · 60 soft gels

[Read the product review](https://supplementexplained.com/products/nordic-naturals-ultimate-omega/)

![Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega 2X product pack](https://supplementexplained.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nordic-naturals-ultimate-omega-2x-product-photo-768x768.webp)

### Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega 2X

Ultimate Omega 2X · Lemon · 60 soft gels

[Read the product review](https://supplementexplained.com/products/nordic-naturals-ultimate-omega-2x/)

 

## Methods, data and reuse

 

This four-product convenience sample uses formulas already reviewed on Supplement Explained with identifiable U.S. labels. We selected different concentrations and serving counts, not a sales-weighted or random sample. Two rows are Nordic products; the sample should not be presented as a neutral estimate of the whole omega-3 market.

 

Manufacturer pages, the specified label records, and identified batch reports were checked on October 9, 2026. The CSV preserves exact packs, dates, source URLs, raw EPA/DHA amounts, and unrounded calculated quantities. A retailer's default 100-count CGN panel is not silently substituted for our reviewed 240-count pack.

 

[Download the omega data (CSV)](https://supplementexplained.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/se-research-assets/data/omega.csv)

Free download, no email required. Dates and source URLs are included.

 

Our original table and calculations are reusable with attribution under CC BY 4.0. Cite this page and retain its observation dates. Product photographs, trademarks, and third-party report material have their own rights. There is no sponsorship-based placement or health-effectiveness score in this dataset.

 

## Sources

1. [https://www.nordic.com/products/ultimate-omega/](https://www.nordic.com/products/ultimate-omega/)
2. [https://www.herbspro.com/products/ultra-omega3-fish-oil-bovine-gelatin-71667](https://www.herbspro.com/products/ultra-omega3-fish-oil-bovine-gelatin-71667)
3. [https://www.nowfoods.com/products/supplements/ultra-omega-3-fish-oil-bovine-gelatin-softgels](https://www.nowfoods.com/products/supplements/ultra-omega-3-fish-oil-bovine-gelatin-softgels)
4. [https://www.iherb.com/pr/california-gold-nutrition-omega-3-premium-fish-oil-240-fish-gelatin-softgels/86598](https://www.iherb.com/pr/california-gold-nutrition-omega-3-premium-fish-oil-240-fish-gelatin-softgels/86598)
5. [https://www.nordic.com/products/ultimate-omega-2x/](https://www.nordic.com/products/ultimate-omega-2x/)
6. [https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/](https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/)
7. [https://www.nordic.com/cofa-results/?LotNumber=260130](https://www.nordic.com/cofa-results/?LotNumber=260130)
8. [https://s3.images-iherb.com/cms/CGN-01330\_05.pdf](https://s3.images-iherb.com/cms/CGN-01330_05.pdf)

Source access and version dates are recorded in the CSV. [Research process](https://supplementexplained.com/research-process/) / [Editorial policy](https://supplementexplained.com/editorial-policy/)