Bioiberica achieves industry-first NutraStrong Collagen Verification
30 Jun 2025 | Bioiberica
At Bioiberica’s leading manufacturing site in Palafolls, Spain, we meet with the company’s R&D and quality director, Javier Velasco-Álvarez, to discuss how Bioiberica became the first supplier to attain NutraStrong Collagen Verification for its native (undenatured) type II collagen, Collavant n2. The verification program ensures consumers receive what is claimed on the label. Velasco-Álvarez says it’s an opportunity for companies focusing on science-backed products to set a standard for the collagen industry.
This is Ilana Van Hal from Nutrition Insight.
I'm here at BioAbilias, offices, or plants I should say, in Spain with Javier Velasco, who is the company's R&D and quality director.
Thank you for joining us today.
And I'm really interested to talk to you about the neutral strong collagen verification for coliant N2, which we just learned that Baobaric is the first company to achieve that.
And I'm really curious, can you explain why it is important to have independence.
Certification like Nutra Strong in the collagen markets and what kind of problems does it help to solve?
Of course, first of all, we are very proud to be the first company that obtains that certification.
It fits very with our philosophy of being a science-based and quality-based company and products, and I think that specifically especially it is important for this kind of products.
Traceuticals because at the end, as in any business there are good companies, good products, and not that good companies are not good products.
So and at the end, the most important for us is to create confidence in in in in our clients, the B2B clients, but finally in the consumer and the consumers when someone can consume a supplement containing our ingredients, it's important for that.
For us and for them to to have the the certainty that the ingredient is correct, that is characterized and that it has what it's supposed to have, right?
And this certification is just about that.
It's a external certification, third party certification that confirms that the analytical methods are the right ones.
The certification analysis that we provide are correct.
And also, the, the science that is behind the ingredient is also the the the the right one, right?
So that in terms of , consumer, transparency, and also in terms of the sector, how, how to protect the sector with this kind of certification is very important to distinguish what is right and what is wrong, right?
Yeah, interesting and talking about the sector.
As a whole, the collagen sector, collagen industry, how do you hope that this achievement from Bio may influence that broader industry, collagen?
I think that we are not the only good quality ingredient producer for sure, but we want to avoid that the sector, specifically when we talk about collagen.
Is contaminated with wrong messages to me as a scientist, when, when I see someone speaking about plant-based or vegetarian collagen, to me it's very strange.
I can understand that, and that's an example, right, but And even for, for the quality standard that the the the consumer expect, it's very important that we have the same analytical methods.
All the producers have use the same analytical methods or at least validated methods from external parties and because at the end if someone is misleading the the the the consumer using the concept of collagen.
Every one of us will be affected, right, so it's not good for the whole sector, right?
OK.
And this Nutra Strong program, I know there was a strong collaboration with SGS Nutrisource for certification program, but also with the College and Stewardship Alliance.
Can you talk a bit about how collaborating with the stakeholders can impact the global regulation and credibility of collagen products.
There are other examples in the nutraceutical sector for the omega 3, there is also some kind of certification with the group for collagen that's new, but also.
I think that it's a very good opportunity for the companies that want to to to have a reliable product with the right reliable services to to to incorporate it to this stewardship and as I said to to fix the standards for the for the products and to create confidence in the in the in the the patients of the clients, the final clients.
And I'm also curious, can you highlight some practical benefits for brands or supplement brands who want to use neutral strong verified Cola N2 in their formulations?
At the end it's a way of differentiation and.
Certified that the the the product that you have complies with the highest standards and at the end there's an investment behind that in terms of analytics, in terms of clinical validation of the the the.
The studies that we do and there's a way of recovering that investment in the way of confidence in in the clients.
And finally, I want to ask a little bit if you can look into the future, how do you foresee this neutral strong collagen verified program may evolve, for example, if there is a growing demand for transparency or clean labels or substantiated supplements?
Of course I think that there's a challenge in the Not just in the certification of the of the ingredients but also in the certification of the analysis done, but also in the in the clinical trials, the standard needed for the clinical trials to validate the efficacy.
That's a very important point and to me, a natural, I don't know if how long will it take, but at the end it will be nice for the final formulator for the final product to have a kind of.
Not just a certificate or you can have a cure when you can do the follow up for all the ingredients that are included in that supplement with all the traceability, with all the analytics to, to build the confidence of the of the client at the end.
So that would be to be the next steps in the in the program.
OK, we'll keep an eye on it.
Thank you.
