What conscientious consumers need to know about marine collagen peptides

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The health benefits of collagen peptides have been known for centuries. In recent years, increasing evidence has been found for their support of skin and hair beauty, joint and bone health, and sports recovery. Today, collagen peptides produced from fish are becoming more and more popular. In this article, we explore where these marine collagen peptides come from, how they are produced, and what you need to consider, as a conscientious consumer, when choosing your product.

What are marine collagen peptides?

Marine collagen peptides are a health ingredient made from fish and used in a variety of health and beauty products. Like bovine, porcine and other fish collagens, these collagen peptides are produced from 100% natural animal sources – in this case, the skins of wild-caught ocean fish. Marine collagen peptides are becoming more and more popular, both among consumers and manufacturers in the health, beauty and nutraceuticals markets.

Where do the fish for marine collagen peptides come from?

Marine collagen peptides can come from two different sources: wild-caught fish and aquaculture fish. Wild-caught fish are caught by fishermen in their natural environment, such as oceans, rivers and lakes. Aquaculture fish are sourced from farm-raised populations, such as cultivated fishery installations. Fish farmers can play a role in the rearing process to enhance production. Wild-caught and farm-raised sources are complementary. Balancing the two sources and treating them with equal respect can help us to feed the world.

How are marine collagen peptides made?

Fish collagen peptides are so-called Type I collagen peptides. They are made from collagen. Type 1 collagen peptides are the most abundant collagen in the human body; Type I is the building block for beautiful skin, flexible connective tissues and strong bones. The production process behind fish collagen peptides is the same as it is for collagen peptides from any other source. It begins with a natural process of extracting gelatin from the raw material, which contains native collagen. This is followed by a specific enzymatic hydrolysis process to convert the gelatin into – highly bioavailable and bioactive – collagen peptides.

Watch video to learn more about the collagen peptides production process:

What are the benefits of collagen peptides?

The health benefits of collagen and collagen peptides have been recognized for many generations. In recent years, more and more scientific evidence has emerged for their support of skin and hair beauty, joint and bone health. Recent research has also highlighted benefits for sports recovery.

A recently published paper[1] has expanded our understanding of how and why collagen peptides are so effective, by showing their bioavailability and bioactivity. This research paper demonstrates that the intake of Peptan® collagen peptides leads to an increased level of hydroxyproline-carrying dipeptides in the blood. These dipeptides are described to carry bioactivity and have been proven to be responsible for health benefits.

What are the key considerations when choosing fish collagen peptides?

As a conscientious consumer, you will want to look beyond safety and quality standards to the sustainability of your products as well. With regard to ocean fish products, it is important to ensure that the fishing practices behind these products are properly managed and sustainable. Sustainable fishing means the oceans’ fish population are maintained at healthy and productive levels, the environmental impact of fishing is minimized, the surrounding ecosystems are respected, and the people who depend on fishing can sustain their livelihoods. When looking for collagen peptides made from marine fish, you can certainly apply these same standards.

How is the sustainability of marine fish collagen peptides ensured?

There are different non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the world who sustainably govern and manage fishing practices, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the Marine Conservation Alliance (MCA), Friend of the Sea (FOS) and others. To be certified by any of these organizations, fisheries and companies must comply with strict requirements regarding sustainability, and supply chain traceability (as part of the MSC Chain of Custody program).

What makes the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) stand out?

The MSC is one of the most recognized labels for sustainable fishing practices and supply chain traceability in the world. This organization operates globally, and seafood products that carry its well-known blue label can be found in numerous countries, from the US and France to Japan and China. The MSC is an international, non-profit organization that wants future generations to be able to keep enjoying seafood and oceans full of life. Its mission is to use ecolabelling and fishery certification to contribute to the health of our world’s oceans by recognizing and rewarding sustainable fishing practices, influencing the choices people make when buying seafood, and working with partners to make the seafood market sustainable. The MSC’s key mission is to promote practices that maintain sustainable fish stocks, to reduce the environmental impact of fishing, and to make the management of fisheries more effective.

Looking for sustainable, clean-sourced marine collagen peptides? Look for the blue MSC label

All of this means that marine collagen peptides supplied by fisheries that are MSC-certified are sustainable and well-managed. The entire supply chain behind these products – from fishery to factory – is audited by the MSC to ensure quality and transparency. So if you are looking for environmentally sustainable marine collagen peptides, look for suppliers that are MSC-certified.

Where does Peptan Marine fit into the story of sustainable fish collagen peptides?

There are many different collagen peptides on the market today, and not all collagen peptides are made in the same way or with the same care for the planet. At Rousselot, we want to be sure that our products are of premium quality, and that our products and processes positively impact the planet and society. We share the Marine Stewardship Council’s vision of oceans teeming with life for this and future generations and to protect not only fish populations, but also ocean habitats, coastal fishing communities, and economies. The fish we use for Peptan Marine are wild-caught and supplied exclusively by fisheries certified by the MSC.

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[1] Kleinnijenhuis, A.J., 2019. Non-targeted and targeted analysis of collagen hydrolysates during the course of digestion and absorption. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2019 Dec 24. doi: 10.1007/s00216-019-02323-x.

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