Speciality protein company Geltor has unveiled a new vegan collagen ingredient, claiming that the new PrimaColl solution represents a ‘first-of-its-kind’ animal-free collagen for food and beverage applications.
Produced through Geltor’s proprietary fermentation process in collaboration with Lonza Specialty Ingredients, the vegan collagen will be available in 2021, as commercial scaling of the ingredient has already begun this summer.
Collagen is commonly produced from sources such as the cartilage, bones and marrow of animals including pigs and cows, and a vegan collagen source for use as an ingredient in food and beverage applications had proved elusive.
According to Geltor, the ingredient is an exact match to the bioactive amino acid core of the ‘less abundant’ Type 21 collagen. Like most collagens, the natural production of Type 21 decreases into adulthood, with collagen supplements such as drinks and snack bars gaining interest from consumers.
Geltor claims that this collagen type was selected in the biodesign of PrimaColl due to its important role in interacting with other collagens, which can help stimulate additional collagen production at the cellular level.
Geltor CEO and co-founder Alex Lorestani, said: “Collagen’s popularity is accelerating year-over-year, in spite of its constraints as an ingredient derived from animals.
“With PrimaColl, our customers finally have a unique and unprecedented opportunity to access new markets with a bona fide collagen that is truly animal-free.”
Last year, Geltor raised $91.3 million in Series B financing, with the company claiming that it would use the financing to fuel the expansion of its ingredients-as-a-service platform.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024
