Gelita invests in biodesign firm Geltor in joint effort to produce and market animal-free collagen, SupplySide West 2019 report

Photo © iStockphoto.com

Gelita (Eberbach, Germany) and Geltor (San Leandro,CA) signed a letter of intent to develop, produce, and market the first ingestible animal-free collagen product, to be launched in late 2020. Under this arrangement, Geltor will design and produce the biodesigned collagen, and Gelita will conduct clinical research and commercialize the product as an addition to their existing portfolio.

Geltor, a biodesign company, has already produced through fermentation the first animal-free, topical collagen protein ingredients called Collume, a marine collagen, and HumaColl21, a human collagen. The agreement with Gelita is the beginning of the firm’s expansion into the food and beverage market.

“Gelita’s decision to invest in biodesign technologies is a prime example of our commitment to innovation and satisfying market needs,” said Hans-Ulrich Frech, global vice president of business unit collagen peptides for Gelita, in a press release. “his addition to Gelita’s collagen portfolio will complement the already robust portfolio of scientifically substantiated Bioactive Collagen Peptides, which are key ingredients in foods and nutritional supplements for their protein content and physiological benefits.”

“This pact further solidifies our view that we have entered a new era in how proteins are being utilized to improve products that consumers around the world use every day,” added Geltor CEO and co-founder Alexander Lorestani, in a press release. “Today, the market is ready and eager for premium offerings of protein ingredients, and this is the need that Geltor is serving. For a relatively young and rapidly growing company like Geltor, to be partnering with GELITA and their longstanding track record of success on a deal of this size and scope is a dream come true.”