Rousselot ramps up Latin American focus with upgraded collagen innovation lab in Brazil
03 May 2021 --- Rousselot is highlighting the Latin American market’s potential for collagen-based solutions with the reopening of its Brazilian innovation lab. The lab has been upgraded to serve the growing need for best-in-class application support across the food, nutrition and pharmaceutical markets.
“Our renewed lab in Brazil can help customers develop their own products and prototypes by offering customized formulation solutions, as well as inspiration,” says Andréa Moura, sales and marketing director Latin America.
The lab is located in Amparo, São Paulo, on Rousselot’s current Peptan collagen peptides manufacturing site. 
Rousselot’s overarching focus has always been co-creation and full formulation support, says Capdepon.
Tailored support
Following several months of expansion and modernization works, the facilities now offer Latin American customers all-round tailored formulation support and product development.
Customized service is a rising trend, both from nutrition companies and what global consumers are demanding. “Tailored to Fit” is one of Innova Market Insights’ Top Ten Trends for 2021. A consumer survey revealed that 64 percent of global consumers had found more ways to tailor their life and products to their individual styles, beliefs and needs.
“With our complete range of small and pilot-scale equipment, we are able to formulate food and nutrition applications like confectionery, baking and drinks, as well as measure our products’ mechanical properties in our customers’ formulations through specialized analytical equipment,” Moura details.
Catering to a range of needs
Rousselot says that its renewed lab will be able to support customers in all key applications and developments in the food and nutrition market even more efficiently.
It offers a Peptan range, aimed at products that support people’s mobility and beauty, while ProTake’s fortified formulation capabilities expand to bars, powder drinks and baked foods.
The lab also supports the development of both pharmaceutical applications and supplements, such as soft gelatin capsules (StabiCaps) and functional gummies (SiMoGel).
Therefore, the company details the lab’s capabilities are aligned with the latest trends in over-the-counter drugs and supplements, highlighted by consumers’ interest in a more proactive approach toward health and prevention.
The Brazilian reopening further strengthens Rousselot’s lab network.
Latin America’s potential
This upgraded lab is positioned to further strengthen Rousselot’s lab network. It includes the global lab in Ghent’s Expertise Center located in Belgium and the regional lab in Wenzhou, China.
“We are dedicated to creating a strong knowledge network by sharing key learnings and findings across our labs worldwide, in order to translate those learnings across all regions and multiple fields,” says Claude Capdepon, global coordinator of Rousselot’s application laboratories.
The emphasis on Latin America comes at a time when many companies are taking notice of this market’s growth potential.
According to Innova Market Insights, supplement launches featuring collagen ingredients have seen a CAGR of 11 percent in Latin America from 2016 to 2020.
Within these launches, the top positioning is Skin Health, followed by Health/Wellness, Joint Health and Bone Health.
Earlier this month, Bioiberica and Aspen teamed up on a collagen ingredient for the Brazilian mobility market.
Verdure Sciences recently launched a curcumin extract in Brazil, while Kemin received local approvals for its algae-sourced beta-glucan ingredient.
In October, Mibelle flagged Mexico’s potential for cosmetic ingredients.
By Katherine Durrell
