Collagen and gelatin, both edible products, have found uses in food and medicine for many centuries. A pure protein, collagen and collagen peptides can be derived from fish as well as bovine and porcine sources.
What is collagen? Back to the basics
The word "collagen" comes from the Greek κόλλα, or kolla, which means glue. Designed by nature, it is the most abundant protein in mammals, accounting for 25% to 35% of the total body protein content. This fibrous connective tissue holds our bodies together.
It consists of three long chains of over 1,000 amino acids each. These are winded together to form a triple helix, a unique structure in biology, that enables the building of elongated fibrils. Collagen’s atypical amino acid composition is characterized by a high content of hydroxyproline, glycine and proline.
28 types of collagen have been identified. They occur in different parts of the body and are classified in several groups, according to the structures they form, either fibrillar (Type I, II, III, V, XI) or non-fibrillar (most of the other types).
Collagen, people and history
Collagen has a long history of use. Centuries ago, people extracted it from bovine or porcine bone broth, seeking to use every part of the animal and waste nothing. Our ancestors also quickly understood the value of this protein. In the 12th century, abbess and scholar Hildegard von Bingen advised people to get relief from joint complaints by taking broth made from calves’ feet—a rich source of collagen. Napoleon is also believed to have been a big fan, supplying his troops with this nutritious ingredient.
Gelatin, which is derived from collagen, soon also gained wide use - used not only in our grandmothers’ kitchens, but also in industry. Because of its unmatched physicochemical properties and functionalities, it found its way into many applications.
Rousselot’s long history with collagen
Rousselot started to work with the collagen molecule as of 1891, beginning with the production of gelatin from skins, hides and bones. In 2008, Rousselot started to produce Peptan collagen peptides, using an innovative process and in 2018, new types of collagen-based products were developed, such as Colartix or X-Pure.
A wide range of premium solutions
We produce more than 400 types of products, all derived from collagen-rich raw materials. This makes us a true market leader in our field. Our range of gelatins is highly diverse, with each gelatin exhibiting specific properties (bloom, pH, viscosity) and offering different kinds of value-adding functionalities serving the food and pharma markets. Our collagen peptide portfolio comprises a growing range of products. These all come with specific, targeted characteristics and enable us to answer the very diverse needs of our customers. Last but not least, our new range of biomedical gelatins and collagens are suited to a wide range of biomedical applications across regenerative medicine, parenteral formulations and hemostatics.
Interested to know more about our products and brands?
Driven by a team of passionate people
While collagen is already a highly valuable ingredient in numerous industries, what keeps our science teams enthusiastic is that they continue to discover new functionalities and properties daily. This means that even after 130+ years, the collagen molecule enables us to keep expanding our portfolio with new biomedical applications and health benefits.
Want to know how we can help you?