Emu oil is an oil made from the fat of the emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, a bird native to Australia. It has been used historically by the Australian aborigines for the treatment of burns, wounds, bruises, and as a pain reliever for bone, muscle, and joint disorders. Emu oil is approximately 70% unsaturated fatty acids. The largest component is oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Emu oil also contains about 20% linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and 1-2% linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid).

A handful of studies have suggested that emu oil, applied topically, may have anti-inflammatory properties or promote wound healing in various rodent models.^[1][2] While there are no studies showing that emu oil is effective in humans, it is marketed and promoted as a dietary supplement with a wide variety of claimed health benefits. Commercially marketed emu oil supplements are poorly standardized and vary widely in their potency.^[3] Such products are sometimes marketed deceptively; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration highlighted emu oil in a 2009 article on "How to Spot Health Fraud".^[4]

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Reference 4 in this article states the information was "retrieved" from the FDA site in 2009, however, the article itself was written many, many years ago. If you search the FDA archives you can determine the date of origin. Placing the year of 2009 in this article leads consumers to believe the FDA has written the article recently (2009), when in fact the article written in 2009 is referencing the original comments by the FDA.