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

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 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 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

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 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.

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 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.

NOW Ultra Omega-3 Fish Oil

Ultra Omega-3 · 180 enteric-coated softgels

Read the product review

Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega

Ultimate Omega · Lemon · 60 soft gels

Read the product review

Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega 2X

Ultimate Omega 2X · Lemon · 60 soft gels

Read the product review

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.

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/
2. 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
4. 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/
6. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/
7. https://www.nordic.com/cofa-results/?LotNumber=260130
8. https://s3.images-iherb.com/cms/CGN-01330_05.pdf

Source access and version dates are recorded in the CSV. Research process / Editorial policy