WILL CHU Editorial team CHEMICALS KNOWLEDGE HUB COLLAGEN the environment. We also take care of the people. It’s a holistic approach.” Barsi also raised the point of taking certifications at face value. “The main market is affected by many variables, especially from Asia. Asian companies provide a lot of certification, but for me, sustainability is more based on food safety, auditing the supplier and checking if they really respect the environment. Certification alone isn’t always suitable.” Science-backed health claims As sourcing faces scrutiny, so too does the science behind collagen’s health claims. With regulatory restrictions limiting formal health claims, brands are increasingly leaning on new clinical studies to demonstrate efficacy and differentiate their offerings in a crowded, claims-sensitive market. “EFSA doesn’t approve collagen health claims in Europe,” said Barsi. “But when collagen has been studied it’s not forbidden information. So you can write on the label that this is collagen that has a clinical study. It’s not possible to write that it is helpful, but it’s legally correct to reference the study. Unfortunately, there are no EFSA health claims, unlike vitamin C, which has an approved claim for supporting collagen formation.” Wolf noted more flexibility abroad: “We have health claims in Canada, South America, Brazil and Japan. In Europe it’s difficult, but the science is stable, the science is solid behind it. And we’re continuing to investigate. We recently published a new study about elasticity; this wasn’t proven before. So we continue to push forward with new science.” As collagen prepares to enter its next phase in 2026, the market is as buoyant as ever. But with success comes pressure to offer more than just trendy formats. Science, transparency and efficacy matter more than ever.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY2OTA4MA==