Supermarkets and food companies are misleading customers by making baffling health claims about omega 3, an organisation has claimed.

  
Omega 3 is found naturally in oily fish, such as salmon or mackerel

The fatty acid has become increasingly popular in recent years after some studies suggested that it can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

However, parts of the food industry have been accused by the consumer group Which? of "riding the money-making omega 3 wave".

A survey of 2,405 of their members found that 45 per cent were more likely to buy a product that claimed to be high in omega 3 than the same food without such a claim.

However, it found that more than half the products on supermarket shelves which claimed to include omega 3 had negligible health benefits, because they either contained so little or the wrong sort of the acid.

Sliced bread, yoghurts, fruit juices and milk were all found to exaggerate the amount or type of omega 3 that was included in the food. Omega 3 is found naturally in oily fish, such as salmon or mackerel.

It can also be found in plant extracts. However, this vegetarian type – ALA – is not nearly as beneficial, health experts claim.

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Dr Alex Richardson said: "Some food labels are muddling together things that have different biological effects.

"Omega 3 from vegetarian sources is very different and does not have the same health benefits."

Most food labels that boast about omega 3 do not make this clear, the report finds.

Perhaps the worst culprit was Asda, which sold a wholegrain loaf under its healthy range.

On its large, detailed label, it said correctly: "With plant sources such as linseed it's harder for the body to access the omega 3 and use them." However, it then continues, "that's why Asda is using special linseed which has been heated in order to liberate the beneficial oils".

Which? said: "This claim baffled our experts as linseed – like other plant sources – contains primarily ALA. What's more, heat and air tend to destroy valuable omega 3."

Asda said: "As soon as Which? brought this to our attention we took the bread off our shelves straight away.

"It was never our intention to mislead our customers into thinking this product was any healthier than it is."

It has withdrawn the product until it redesigns the packaging.

Despite many different studies into omega 3, its benefits are still unclear. Last year, a study by the University of East Anglia – which reviewed 100 separate studies – found that omega 3 did not provide significant protection against heart disease.

The Which? report is the latest attack on misleading claims from the food industry.

The charity Sense About Science, which promotes better understanding of science, earlier this month highlighted a range of companies that preyed on ignorance.

Nestlé came under scrutiny for claiming its Ski Activ8 yoghurt optimised the release of energy – if combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle.

The report said that if people had a healthy diet with enough B vitamins, having more yoghurt would not help.