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Your fatty acids collection
This test measures your essential fatty acids from a few drops of blood, taken with a quick finger-prick and dried onto a collection card. It takes just a few minutes at home — then you post the card back to the lab.
A simple finger-prick you do at home
Your kit is posted directly to you — no collection centre visit needed. You collect a few dried blood spots and mail the card back in the prepaid envelope provided.
Get a good drop first
- Fill in your details on the collection card and request form before you start.
- Warm hands bleed best: wash them in warm water, then let your arm hang by your side for about 20 seconds to bring blood to your fingers.
- Leave the desiccant packet in its little bag — you'll need it at the end to keep the sample dry.
Check your kit
Collecting your sample
Take the sample
- Clean the side (not the pad or tip) of a warm middle or ring finger with the alcohol wipe, and dab off the excess with the cotton ball.
- Twist off the lancet cover, press it firmly against the side of your fingertip and click — you'll feel a small sting.
- Let a drop form (gently squeeze from the base of the finger if needed). Before it falls, lightly touch the drop to the centre of a circle on the card — don't rub your finger on the paper.
- Fill each circle so the blood soaks through. Then press with the cotton ball to stop the bleeding, and add the plaster if you like.
Dry & send
- Let the spots dry for 15–20 minutes. Once dry, fold the card's flap over to cover them.
- Seal the card in the plastic bag with the desiccant packet — this keeps the sample dry, which matters for an accurate result.
- Put the bag and your request form into the reply-paid envelope and post it the same day you collect, via your nearest Australia Post outlet or express post box.
What this test measures
Measures: Omega-3 Index · Omega-6 : Omega-3 ratio · AA : EPA ratio · Trans Fat Index