Sign in

Products · Omega-3 & fish oil · Nordic Naturals

Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega

Reader ratings
Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega

A widely sold fish oil with a clear label (650 mg EPA and 450 mg DHA in two softgels). Nutrasource’s registry shows no current IFOS results for it, and we are asking Nordic for a current lot certificate with oxidation figures.

Best for People who want a moderate-dose, triglyceride-form fish oil from a long-established brand and accept that freshness and purity data rest on Nordic’s word until a lot report is in.

Our quality rating
Fair (3 of 5)
Price range
Mid-range
Verified marks
IGEN non-GMO tested (Nutrasource listing)
Size
60 softgels (30 servings of two); also 120 and 180. A liquid version is sold separately.

approx. $25 to $30 for 60 softgels

See it on Nordic Naturals’s site →

We are not affiliated with Nordic Naturals. This link goes to the maker’s own page, with no tracking code. How we're funded.

Reader ratings & reviews

– out of 5

Loading ratings…

Have this product? Please rate it.

    Reviews are personal experiences, not research, and they never change our quality ratings. Every review is read by our team before it appears.

    How we evaluated it

    Why we chose it What put it on our list 5 points
    • The label gives EPA and DHA separately: 650 mg EPA and 450 mg DHA in two softgels (1,100 mg), with 1,280 mg of total omega-3. NIH’s label database (a 2020 label) and Nordic’s page agree.
    • Nordic says the omega-3s are in re-esterified triglyceride form, which our sources and dosing guide says absorbs better than ethyl esters.
    • It names its fish: anchovies, sardines, mackerel and herring, in the ingredient list on Nordic’s page. Nordic says its fisheries are Friend of the Sea certified, and Friend of the Sea’s own site carries a 25 June 2015 announcement of the certification.
    • Nutrasource’s registry lists Ultimate Omega (softgels) with a passing IGEN (non-GMO) result.
    • Nordic says every lot has a certificate of analysis that you can look up by lot number.
    Trade-offs What to weigh before you buy 4 points
    • IFOS is the gap. Nutrasource’s registry lists many Nordic Naturals products but shows only the IGEN non-GMO test for them, with no IFOS lot reports. Nutrasource’s file server still holds IFOS 5-star reports for Ultimate Omega lots that expired in 2012 and in January 2016, so “IFOS 5-star” on review sites may be out of date.
    • Nordic says certified laboratories test every product for potency, purity and freshness, and it publishes certificates of analysis by lot. The lookup needs a lot number and sits behind a bot check, so we could not open one. The product page gives no oxidation (TOTOX) figure.
    • The label directs two softgels a day, which is 1,100 mg of EPA plus DHA, above the 250 to 500 mg a day in our sources and dosing guide; one softgel is 550 mg. Nordic’s label says to consult a physician before use if you are allergic to iodine or use blood thinners. Check with a clinician too if you have atrial fibrillation (see omega-3 and heart health).
    • It costs about $0.39 per 500 mg of EPA plus DHA at Vitacost, and about $0.45 at Nordic’s own price, roughly twice the budget IFOS-listed oils.
    What to know Details worth knowing first

    Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega is one of the best-known fish oils in the United States, with a clear label and a moderate dose per softgel. It once carried IFOS five-star reports, and some review sites still say so.

    What we found is that Nutrasource’s current registry lists Nordic’s products only for the IGEN non-GMO test, and the IFOS reports we could open for Ultimate Omega are for lots that expired in 2012 and 2016. Nordic says it tests every lot in certified laboratories and publishes certificates by lot number. We could not open one without a lot number, so freshness and purity rest on the maker’s word for now.

    If you buy it, you can enter the lot number from your bottle on Nordic’s certificate page and look for an outside lab and oxidation and contaminant figures within the limits. Until we have a current certificate, the IFOS-listed oils on this site have the stronger evidence.

    Quality & testing How it measures up against our checklist Fair, 3 of 5 · 8 checks
    Quality rating Fair

    An editorial rating of how well it meets our criteria for omega-3 & fish oil, given what we could verify. We only list products rated 3 or above.

    Third-party tested
    No
    Tested by
    Nordic says certified laboratories test each lot (not named)
    How Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega measures up against our omega-3 & fish oil criteria
    What we checked What we found
    Independent testing (IFOS or equivalent, with a lot report) Not verified Nutrasource’s registry shows only IGEN (non-GMO) for Nordic Naturals; no IFOS lot reports. Old IFOS reports exist for lots expiring in 2012 and January 2016. Nordic’s lot certificates need a lot number to open.
    Non-GMO test (IGEN) Verified Nutrasource lists Ultimate Omega (softgels) as IGEN certified: no detectable genetically engineered proteins or genes in the panel.
    Freshness (TOTOX at or under 26) Not verified No oxidation figure on Nordic’s product page. The 2016-expiry IFOS report is for an old lot, so it is not evidence for today’s lots.
    Stated EPA and DHA Maker’s claim 650 mg EPA and 450 mg DHA in two softgels (1,280 mg total omega-3), from Nordic’s page and NIH’s copy of a 2020 label. We saw no current lot test of the amounts.
    A named source and sustainability certification Maker’s claim Anchovies, sardines, mackerel and herring. Nordic says the fisheries are Friend of the Sea certified; Friend of the Sea announced the certification in 2015 but we could not see a current listing.
    Lot or best-by date Not verified Not visible on Nordic’s page. Lot lookups are on Nordic’s site.
    NSF Certified for Sport Verified Ultimate Omega 2X Sport is listed in NSF’s directory (60 softgels, lots shown). The regular Ultimate Omega is not.
    Recalls and warning letters Verified openFDA lists two terminated Nordic Naturals recalls, neither a fish oil: Baby’s Vitamin D3 liquid (begun 7 February 2024, Class II, elevated vitamin D3) and Zero Sugar Kids Multivitamin gummies (begun 2 May 2025, Class III, mislabeled). FDA’s warning-letter search found no letter to the company.
    What the labels mean
    • Verified We opened an independent record that confirms it: a certifier’s listing, a regulator’s list or a lab report. It is linked under Sources.
    • Maker’s claim The maker says so on its own page or label. We read it but found no independent record.
    • Not verified We looked and could not confirm it, or the maker does not say. Treat it as unknown.
    Sources Where our facts come from 10 sources
    1. Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega product page. Maker’s page. Blocks automated fetches; read from a June 2026 archive copy ($29.95 for 60 softgels, ingredient list, certificate-of-analysis statement). Open ↗
    2. Nordic Naturals: The Nordic Promise (testing and certificates of analysis). Maker’s page. Read from a September 2026 archive copy. The lot lookup needs a lot number. Open ↗
    3. NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database: Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Lemon, label 214305. Independent source. A federal database copy of a 2020 label: EPA 650 mg, DHA 450 mg, total omega-3 1,280 mg per two softgels, and the blood-thinner warning. It shows what the label says. It is not a test. Open ↗
    4. Nutrasource registry: Nordic Naturals brand page. Certifier or regulator listing. Lists Nordic’s products, with only IGEN shown as an active certification. Open ↗
    5. Nutrasource registry: Ultimate Omega (softgels). Certifier or regulator listing. Shows IGEN certified and no IFOS lots. Open ↗
    6. Old IFOS consumer report, Ultimate Omega lot 1285E3 (expired 01/2016). Test report. Five-star IFOS result for an old lot (EPA 337 mg and DHA 248 mg a capsule). Shown for history, not as current evidence. Open ↗
    7. NSF Certified for Sport listing: Ultimate Omega 2X Sport. Certifier or regulator listing. Open ↗
    8. Friend of the Sea: Nordic Naturals receives certification (2015). Independent source. The certifier’s own announcement, dated 25 June 2015. It does not show current status. Open ↗
    9. openFDA food enforcement (recall) records for Nordic Naturals. Certifier or regulator listing. F-1109-2024 (Baby’s Vitamin D3 liquid, terminated 21 June 2024) and F-0840-2025 (Zero Sugar Kids Multivitamin gummies, terminated 18 March 2026). Open ↗
    10. FDA warning letters search: Nordic Naturals. Certifier or regulator listing. Returned no results on 2026-10-22. Open ↗
    Where to buy Other stores and the prices we saw 1 store
    • Vitacost approx. $25 for 60 softgels; approx. $46 for 120; approx. $65 for 180. Vitacost says it sources products directly from brands or authorized distributors. Nordic’s own page listed $29.95 for 60 softgels in a June 2026 archive copy.

    Prices as we saw them on October 22, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

    Alternatives Other options to compare 3 options

    Weekly research digest

    New topics and updated research, once a week when there's something new. How it works