At a virtual panel discussion hosted by the Collagen Stewardship Alliance, experts discussed current market trends and offered their predictions for the future of the burgeoning collagen market.
 
Collagen supplements comprise an estimated $3.6 billion market globally. In order for brand holders to differentiate their products, experts suggested offering clinical substantiation for products, educating consumers about health benefits, and developing unique and in-demand formulations.
 
Consumer Attitudes
According to Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights, 31% of collagen consumers in the U.S., U.K., and Germany would be willing to pay a premium for branded products.
 
Consumers are most likely to trust a supplement based on consistent product quality, certifications and seals, recommendations from healthcare professionals, efficacy, and safety, according to a recent survey Innova conducted.
 
According to year-over-year data, collagen users are taking supplements more frequently, and at greater dosages. Williams said brands should focus on continued consumer education, fostering greater recognition of proprietary ingredients, and maintaining consistent quality and transparency.
 
Personalization will remain important, with individual collagen types affecting different areas of health, ranging from skin/hair/nails to bone/joint, cardiovascular, immune health, and more. At the same time, different dosage formats and delivery methods can offer convenience and/or enhance efficacy.
 
With a long shelf life, stability in dry conditions, high protein content, gluten-free, and a lack of taste and odor, formulators should embrace the versatility that collagen offers by exploring innovations in functional foods, beverages, and novel delivery formats, according to Jane Dummer, RD, president of Jane Dummer Consulting. She noted that the use of collagen in home baking, and the ever-popular area of flavored water, could be interesting entry points for collagen manufacturers.
 
“The use of collagen is increasing rapidly, and we’re seeing a split between food, supplements, and topical applications,” Williams said. “Consumers are looking for more and more ways to tailor products around their individual lifestyles.”
 
An emerging lifestyle trend in the collagen market, thanks to innovations in sourcing, is ethical claims related to sustainability and welfare. With options such as fish/marine collagen, and vegan collagen-booster supplements entering the marketplace, sustainability and animal welfare claims will likely rise in importance.
 
As one of the most abundant proteins making up the structure of the human body, and virtually all connective tissue, collagen is “dreadfully deficient” in contemporary populations, said Jordan Rubin, co-founder and CEO of Ancient Nutrition, noting that the changes in the way people eat today should be emphasized.
 
Collagen was a niche ingredient until about a decade or two ago, primarily appearing in its crude form, gelatin, with preliminary studies suggesting potential health benefits to digestion and joint function. However, “Our ancestors would never conceive of throwing away bones from animal food sources,” Rubin said. “We used bones to make broths, and soups, and stocks, and got enough collagen back then. This protein from connective tissue is literally what holds us together.”
 
Clinical Substantiation to Date
While some collagen types, and some delivery methods, have been subject to human clinical trials demonstrating their efficacy, many finished products on the market contain ingredients that haven’t been tested in a single study evaluating their performance in humans, observers noted.
 
Rubin said that a groundswell of research is needed in order for these supplements to realize their full potential. “While type 2 collagen, sourced primarily from poultry sternum, has seen a fair share of clinical studies, bovine collagen has seen a relative lack of research especially when you consider finished products. Top-selling finished products on the market today are without ingredients backed by human clinical trials.”
 
A great deal of mystery surrounding collagen across all of its types compelled Ancient Nutrition to formulate with 10 different types sourced from bovine, bone broth, fish, and a clinically-studied fermented eggshell membrane, Rubin said.
 
There is much work to be done on differentiating collagen types, understanding their direct mechanisms of action, and learning more about the efficacy of delivery methods, said Sara Sibilla, global regulatory strategy and regulatory affairs lead at Unilever. Still, there is a good foundation to work with.
 
Collagen is depleted from the body through environmental stressors, lifestyle choices, and aging. The particular amino acid content in collagen supports rebuilding connective tissue proteins in the body, Sibilla said. “These peptides remain in the tissue for 14 days or longer, and it’s known that they have some activity there.”
 
Research thus far has provided evidence that collagen peptides, when administered long-term, have a substantial effect on the structure and function of joints, especially when it comes to mitigating against signs of everyday wear-and-tear, Sibilla said, also noting that studies have found a typical timeline of 3-6 months of supplementation is needed to achieve measurable improvements in subjective joint pain and function.
 
Potential for Plant-Based
While collagen is sourced from animals, there are vegan options for those who still seek to boost the endogenous production of collagen in their bodies. Vitamin C is a leading ingredient in this emerging area, Rubin said, noting that a disintegration of connective tissue in the gums of sailors was what led to its discovery. 
 
Even when formulating with animal-based collagen, Dummer said that combining collagen formulas with antioxidants in order to target enhanced bioactivity could appeal to savvy consumers as well.
 
“Plant-based collagen—is it a real thing? Many products are labeled as ‘vegan collagen’ but they’re mainly collagen boosters,” Sibilla said. “There is no plant from which collagen can be sourced, and typically these supplements combine plant-based peptides with antioxidants to promote collagen-building.”
 
However, the brand PrimaColl recently launched the first fermentation-sourced, vegan collagen, and several other fermented collagen products are currently in research and development stages, Sibilla said. “We don’t know a lot about it, in regard to clinical research, so it will be interesting to see how companies react.”