Innovating with Bovine Collagen: Transforming Food Texture and Enhancing Quality

Thalita Obara, Ph.D, R&D Manager Novapron, Brazil

Collagen is the most abundant animal protein, mainly consisting of connective tissues, including skin, bone, cartilage, tendon, and blood vessels. Functional or native collagen is a structural protein that has been widely used as a food ingredient for many years. 

Unlike hydrolysed collagen, which is previously broken down into smaller peptides for easier absorption and pharmacological action, native collagen keeps its protein structure intact, characteristic that attributes functional and technological properties in industrial processes and food products. It can be obtained from the skin, tendons, and bones of animals such as cattle, swine, poultry, and fish. It is insoluble in water and has a characteristic structure that gives it high mechanical strength and thermal stability. These properties make native collagen a valuable functional ingredient in food formulation, both from a nutritional and technological point of view.

Due to its protein composition/structure, native collagen offers several benefits, such as forming a gel at high and low temperatures, improving texture, increasing yield, binding with water/fat acting as an emulsifying agent, reducing cooking loss, reducing and controlling water activity, increasing shelf-life, reducing liquid exudation during storage, reducing shrinkage and improving slicing. 

Collagen proteins have remarkable features when compared to vegetable protein structure-forming agents, such as soy derivatives, gums, and hydrocolloids, because its properties are not affected by high and low process temperatures, salt concentration, phosphate presence, or defrosting process, for example. In addition, collagen could be a useful tool to replace part of fat, contributing to formulations with a lower calorie content and better nutritional profile, as it is non-allergenic, improves protein content, and reduces formulation cost.

In the food industry, functional collagen is commonly used in meat products such as sausages, mortadella, hotdogs, hamburgers, nuggets, pâtés, fermented products but also in dairy products such as processed cheeses, dairy and fermented beverages, bakery products, sauces, soups, and broths, frozen pasta and fillings and pet food. Collagen is easy to use, and there is no need to adapt the industrial production process to obtain its benefits in the applied product. In addition to its technological properties, native collagen is a revolutionary functional ingredient. Its presence in industrialized foods can add value to the final product, especially when combined with other bioactive ingredients.

In essence, functional collagen is a versatile, easy-to-use, clean-label, and strategic ingredient for food industry, not only because of its technological functionality but also because it adds nutritional value and meets the growing demand for products with functional appeal, cleaner and easier-to-understand formulations, and better sensory quality, bringing a unique experience to the end consumer.

Novapron has partnered with Azelis to bring functional bovine collagen to Indonesia, meeting the needs of the country’s growing meat industry. As urbanisation accelerates and the middle class grows, consumer preferences are shifting toward value-added, convenient options like ready-to-eat meals and shelf-stable meat snacks. Growing health-consciousness also sees consumers seeking indulgent, better-for-you choices. Functional collagen fiber meets this demand by enhancing water-binding, texture, and juiciness in processed meats while supporting yield optimisation and clean-label formulations. With its ability to improve meat quality without compromising affordability or appeal, it presents a timely and effective solution for the evolving market.

Novapron is one of JBS’s new business units in Brazil, produces high functionality proteins and innovative solutions for ingredients to food industries. With global presence, exports to more than 40 countries in 5 continents. For more information, visit www.novapron.com.br.

As the reference global innovation service provider in the speciality chemical and food ingredients industry, Azelis is the preferred supplier and partner for many food and beverage manufacturers. From basic and functional ingredients to complex formulations and innovative technologies, the team at Azelis will support you from concept to development and manufacturing. For more information, visit www.explore.azelis.com. FRI