Lonza says it's filling gap in US market with new organic collagen ingredient

20-Apr-2021 - Last updated on 20-Apr-2021 at 16:12 GMT

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Swiss ingredient manufacturer Lonza has expanded the reach of it UC-II branded line of collagen with a new organic option, which fills in what the company characterizes as a gap in the market in the United States.

“Joint health is a key priority for US consumers of all ages,” said Martin Sambusini, associate director of Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients. “Despite the importance of joint health for so many, and for organic shoppers in particular, until this point, hardly any organically-sourced joint-health solutions have been available.”

The new ingredient will be for sale in the US only, and will be manufactured at a Lonza owned facility in South Carolina.

The new UC-II supplement is certified as made with organic collagen and is Non-GMO Project Verified. The SC facility is certified organic by Oregon Tilth.

Product can support USDA Organic seal

The new product is branded as UC-II Non-GMO Made with Organic Collagen. It is certified to be made with 93% organic ingredients. This helps formulators seeking a USDA Organic seal on their finished goods to reach the 95% level of organic content required. That is one step down from USDA’s 100% Organic seal. Another seal which appears on some supplements is “Made with organic xxxxxxxx” which would specify the particular ingredient in question. To qualify for that level of seal, a product must have at least 70% organic content overall.

Lonza says its UC-II collagen line is supported with an FDA New Dietary Ingredient notification. The company claims it is backed with three clinical studies showing the patented ingredient works with the immune system to allow new joint tissue to be formed, thereby helping to improve the function and comfort of the joints. And Lonza says the particular undenatured form of the ingredient means it can be taken in a convenient smaller pill, once-a-day dose.

Lonza, which was founded more than 120 years ago in Switzerland, now has more than 14,000 employees on five continents. The company operates in the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition markets. In its fiscal 2020 Lonza generated sales of about $4.9 billion (CHF 4.5 billion).