Emu Oil

Yes. The emus have very soft feet and do not break up Australia’s fragile topsoil like the introduced hard-hooved animals such as sheep and cattle — just as nature intended for our environment. And, during the emu processing and rendering season, we collect and naturally treat the organic waste materials for fertilizer to improve the soil.

We remove the fat from the bird and render it immediately — unlike most operations that remove fat from the bird and freeze it for rendering at a later point.* Then, we render the fat at a low temperature as quickly as possible (right on the farm!) to retain all the nutritional properties of the oil. This method retains the integrity and highest quality oil because it’s the most efficient and advanced. After rendering the oil is lightly filtered, for a final product that’s one ingredient and completely unadulterated. Importantly, we don’t use any chemicals, additives, or preservatives, nor is any part of the oil extracted.

Our native emus originated from wild birds across several Australian regions more than 30 years ago. Since that time, they have all been farm-bred Heritage stock — and cannot be found anywhere else. They’re not from zoo stock or mixed genotypes (no zoo stock is used in Australian emu farming, as the required license is specific to farm stock only).

Australian emus are farmed under a mandated Government Code of Practice, ensuring their welfare. Further, all Australian indigenous animals are protected by law. And no emu birds eggs or genetics are allowed to be exported out of Australia. This means that emu outside of Australia may come from zoo stock, which have limited genetics and may produce a lesser quality oil.* They also have a different diet.

We sustainably source Smidge® Emu Oil from robust emus that happily graze on the grassy pastures of Southeast Australia.

Australians respect and revere the wildlife and protect the emus by law, and so we chose the country’s heartland to source our emu birds, for the utmost quality on the market.*

The emus are generally maintained in a free-range environment in extensive paddocks. They graze the natural grasses, and they forage for grubs and insects. And they are not caged.

Yes. Smidge® Emu Oil is free of common allergens: milk/casein, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, gluten, sesame and soybeans. There are also no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

The manufacturing facility’s quality certifications include Australian Made, Australian Grown, ECAAS Certified – ISO 9001, ECAAS Certified – ISO 22716 and GMP Certified. Here’s what each certification means:

Australian Made, Australian Grown: A not-for-profit public company established by the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI) and the network of state and territory chambers of commerce, with the cooperation of the Federal Government — to certify genuine Australian made products.

ECASS Certified – ISO 9001: Shows evidence of consistently good quality products and services, demonstration that customer satisfaction is integral to operations and commitment to continual improvement of manufacturing performance and results.

ECASS Certified – ISO 22716: Shows Good Manufacturing Practices and reduction of cosmetic product hazards; establishes guidelines for the production, control, storage and shipment of products and certifies adherence to an internationally recognized achievement.

GMP Certified: Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards.

Certified Therapeutic Grade –  Therapeutic Goods Administration: Australia's government authority responsible for evaluating, assessing and monitoring products that are defined as therapeutic goods.

The nutrients in Smidge® Emu Oil go hand-in-hand with those in a fresh, raw cod liver oil because the levels of vitamin K2 in emu oil accompany the vitamin D3 in cod liver oil.

Here’s how the vitamins from these two supplements work as a team. Vitamin D3 initiates several important biological processes by “switching on” genes related to the expression of certain proteins. And vitamin K2 is essential for the activation of these proteins, suggesting that it may support the effects of vitamin D.

Scientific studies have found:

• There are benefits of vitamin K2 for immune health in combination with vitamin D3.*
• Vitamins D and K2 work together to regulate calcium metabolism.*
• There’s a harmonious effect of vitamin K2 combined with vitamin D for heart health*
• The effects of vitamin D3 and K2 on bone mass density are better when used together*

Menatetrenone, also known as MK-4, is one of the nine forms of vitamin K2. MK-4 is produced via conversion of vitamin K1 in the body, in the pancreas and arterial walls. It is also present in emu oil, a real food from animal fat.

MK-7 or K2-7 is highly concentrated in a Japanese traditional food called natto. Natto is made by fermenting soybeans using Bacillus subtilis. Another source is the microflora of the intestine.

Vitamin K is fat-soluble, meaning it’s stored in the body’s fat and used when needed.

The proponents of MK-7 claim it’s superior because it remains in the blood longer than MK-4. That does not make it superior; that just means it stays in the blood longer. MK-4 on the other hand, is readily absorbed by other tissues in the body.

To synthesize MK-4 in the body, you need vitamin K1 (leafy greens) and MK-7 (found in fermented foods like natto). Science is still determining how efficient the body is at converting MK-7 into MK-4, and what can impact that conversion.

It’s important to remember that vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 MK-7 (and MK-8 and MK-9) are all found in plant-based products. All of these forms of vitamin K are used to create vitamin K2 (MK-4 ) in animals (including humans).

And, humans will convert all other types of vitamin K into MK-4. This indicates that our body needs vitamin K2 MK-4 (which is found in emu oil) — and that the other types of vitamin K serve as building blocks.

In all, if you take emu oil for K2 (MK-4), your body can readily utilize it and it doesn't require any conversion.

Smidge® Emu Oil naturally contains more than five times the amount of vitamin K2 (MK-4) than butter oil.*

Vitamin K is an important fat-soluble molecule that comes in two forms — K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone (MK)). It helps activate and regulate multiple proteins in the body (known as vitamin K-dependent proteins), including those needed for blood clotting, bone metabolism and heart health.*

Vitamin K2 can be found in various food sources, including animal products like egg yolks, dark chicken meat and schmaltz, goose liver and hard cheeses. It’s also in fermented foods like natto (soy). The animal-based food sources of vitamin K2 are more absorbable than plant-based foods, such as natto.

So, depending on what you eat and how much of the vitamin K2-rich foods you eat, supplementation with Emu Oil may help achieve optimal vitamin K2 levels to benefit from its health-supporting properties — especially in combination with vitamin D3 from fresh, raw cod liver oil.*

One of the most important aspects of rendering and filtering relates to the safety aspect, in that it does not contain any microorganisms or bacteria. Safety is readily achieved by utilizing the correct, gentle filtration methods.

We render and filter the fresh emu oil in our specially designed facility and are able to apply the findings from the research in our methods, thereby maximizing the therapeutic activity.* The final product is completely unadulterated. Importantly, we don’t use any chemicals, additives, or preservatives, nor is any part of the oil extracted.

To decipher a truly pure emu oil, it must have only one ingredient: 100% emu oil. If it’s been adulterated with additives, fractionated or altered, then it’s not pure. In addition, emu oil is not enhanced with the addition of antioxidants such as vitamin E, as they do not provide any added protection against oxidation. Emu Oil in itself has excellent preservation and antioxidant properties.