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by jfim 1923 days ago
> Given that and the already-existing ability to create collagen/gelatin in a lab that's suitable for vegans, I've always wondered why nobody has managed to get it to market as a food.

Outside of some pastry applications (eg. mirror cake glazing), it's pretty much only used for Jell-O and aspic, neither of which are particularly trendy at the moment.

There's gelatin and collagen in soups as part of making broth, but it's not really something that people see as an ingredient.

3 comments

Ah, you may not be aware of this. Collagen supplements are trendy with the wellness crowd as a protein powder, and bone broth is too under closely related reasoning. People who buy these things are thinking, "I want my skin and tissues to be healthier, so I'm going to buy collagen or bone water that is full of it."

This study seems like it bolsters the reasoning. The market for both of these options is currently closed off to vegans.

When I was last in the USA, I was very surprised to discover all the yoghurt in the store I went to contained gelatin.
This is a consequence of the low-fat craze that peaked in the 90s but still exists. When you remove fat from yogurt, you need to add sugar and gelatin back in so it has flavor and texture.

That said, you should be able to find plenty of real yogurt in the US now.

Huge demand for collagen powder as a beverage additive lately though. Could definitely be a real opportunity.
For example, Nestlé purchased "Vital Proteins" last year and are making their collagen products to their Nestlé Health Science portfolio.

https://www.fooddive.com/news/nestle-to-acquire-majority-sta...