Healthy throughout life: Lonza looks at growing markets for UC-II ingredient

31 Jul 2023 --- The importance of lifelong joint health is becoming increasingly evident to consumers, impacting their fitness goals and overall mobility. Backed by over ten human clinical studies – Lonza is highlighting its UC-II undenatured type-II collagen ingredient’s efficacy.

According to Innova Market Insights, Joint health in F&B and supplements grew by 15% from 2018 to 2022. As a result, the functional food and beverage category has experienced significant growth in joint health ingredients, particularly collagen products, which saw a 26% increase in 2021.

Lonza emphasizes UC-II’s mechanism of action that stimulates the body’s natural process of building new joint cartilage at a small 40 mg daily dose.

Nutrition Insight sits down with Emily Navarro, Lonza’s global product marketing manager for nutrition products and services, and Amy Sunderman, its director of R&D for ingredients, to discuss the potential for further expansion for the company's UC-II in the functional food and beverage sector in light of a new benchtop study, which demonstrated its efficacy under different processing conditions including rigorous F&B manufacturing processes.

“This benchtop exercise study, in particular, has shown Lonza’s UC-II undenatured type-II collagen is able to withstand the various processing conditions associated with F&B manufacturing – meaning that it is a viable option to explore these new fun formats,” says Navarro.

“This really opens up opportunities for brands to create joint health products in different delivery forms, expanding beyond just the typical capsule or powder and exploring things like gummies or nutritional bars,” says Sunderman. “It also allows brands to expand the ways that they offer the benefits that UC-II promotes.”UC-II undenatured type-II collagen is able to stand up to processes making it good for inclusion in formats like gummies or bars.

More options means greater compliance
One major aspect of the benchmark’s findings is that the ability to include collagen in a variety of formats has added benefits for the consumer.

"Type-II collagen is clinically proven to help maintain joint health and reduce joint discomfort better than glucosamine and chondroitin,” Navarro explains. “One of the biggest challenges in the joint health supplement space, as well as dietary supplements in general, is customer compliance – supplements only work if you take them regularly.”

“Most dietary supplements, including UC-II require consistent daily use to achieve the benefit, so consumers are always looking for new and exciting ways to stick with their habits and establish healthy habits.”

Sunderman reveals that the study shows that Lonza's UC-II could withstand various production challenges like heat and pH levels in which many ingredients face instability or breakdown. However, she notes that the Benchtop study can give customers confidence that the company's UC-II remains stable throughout their production process and delivers an efficacious dose.

“People are looking for new and exciting ways to take their UC-II or their dietary supplements and when we open up this portfolio that brands can explore, it really gives them the opportunity to go beyond and give their consumers what they’re looking for and expand the ways that that UC-II can and joint health products can be introduced to consumers.”

The expanding lifetime health market
Changing demographics are also fueling the collagen market as people at younger ages are beginning to consider their health over their lifetime. The target audience is becoming younger and is not limited to older individuals experiencing mobility issues. Navarro affirms that collagen  is for healthy individuals too and emphasizes the importance of proactive joint health. In fact, she offers some intriguing statistics to support this trend.

“More than half of adults over 40 have experienced some sort of joint discomfort in the past month,” says Navarro. “In fact, we also know that most supplement users, around 82%, are interested in taking a joint health product.” 

“The key here is they want a joint health product that works and that they can enjoy taking. I think that those two facts really play into why UC-II undenatured type-II collagen is a great solution.”The demographic for collagen is expanding as younger people seek ingredients for lifespan health benefits.

Sunderman also highlights that, specifically for UC-II, the benchtop report includes some of the younger demographics.

“We didn’t focus our research only on that older group of people,” she underscores. “We’ve expanded the population that we’ve studied to include younger individuals to make sure that we’re providing a benefit across the lifespan to help keep people moving and active throughout the course of their lives.”

The future of collagen
Looking ahead, Navarro and Sunderman say that they see much ahead for the future of the company's UC-II and for undenatured type-II collagen as a beneficial ingredient in general.

“We're continuing to look into research and opportunities and find ways where we can really keep up with consumer trends and demands and bring this ingredient to people in ways that will help them stay consistent with their healthy habits and support their joint health long term,” Navarro emphasizes.

“We’re always working to explore new ways that we can use UC-II and new ways that consumers can use UC-II, including new benefit areas,” Sunderman concludes. “We’ll always continue to expand on that and to provide our customers with new and novel things that they can do and say about the ingredients.”

“Then the consumer can feel confident that they are getting the benefits they want and that they will be able to take it in ways that are exciting and beneficial to them.”

By William Bradford Nichols