Asian collagen market is booming, but scientific substantiation crucial, says BioCell Technology

23 Aug 2018 --- The Asian collagen market is booming, but consumers are increasingly demanding quality and scientific substantiation, according to BioCell Technology. In light of this, BioCell collagen will be presented at Vitafoods Asia, September 11-12 in Singapore, with an accompanying scientific session to highlight supporting clinical trials of the product. BioCell collagen is a naturally occurring matrix of hydrolyzed type II collagen, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid.

“In Asia, collagen has long been established in the region’s beauty-from-within and joint health markets. However, what we see there is that consumers are becoming increasingly savvy and demanding high-quality collagen that’s backed up by scientific substantiation,” Suhail Ishaq, President of BioCell Technology, tells NutritionInsight.

BioCell collagen stands out from other collagen offerings because it is substantiated with human trials, Ishaq explains. In one study of 80 people, it was confirmed safe and effective and, compared to a placebo group, significantly promoted joint comfort and mobility. The results corroborated an earlier trial, says Ishaq, which found that it helped joint comfort by as much as 40 percent. One last study found that daily ingestion of BioCell collagen for 12 weeks led to a 13 percent reduction in wrinkles and a 76 percent reduction in dryness and skin scaling.

The scientific substantiation of the collagen ingredient has led to a surge in global interest, “I don’t see these positive trends abating, but I think quality and scientific substantiation are going to become more important in future. In this information age, consumers are increasingly skeptical and interested in the provenance of ingredients,” says Ishaq.

“The advantage of a branded ingredient like BioCell Collagen is that consumers know it’s made by a reputable company that has carried out quality scientific research and produces a consistent product they can rely on for efficacy.”

The collagen market is also growing outside of Asia, “In North America, there’s been a significant increase in sales over the past couple of years, partly because of the mainstreaming of beauty-from-within as a concept, but also because of the rapidly expanding body of evidence for collagen’s effectiveness for joint and skin health. In the EU most of our customers are positioning BioCell Collagen for joint health,” Ishaq adds.

In terms of applications, BioCell collagen can be used in dietary supplements and functional foods. As a B2B supplier, the company license and supply BioCell collagen to consumer-packaged goods companies for use in their finished products. 

An overview of this growing body of research will be presented at Vitafoods Asia by Dr. Vincenzo Boldrini, Scientific Manager of Sochim International, a distributor for BioCell.