Working as a graphic designer for a Japanese client, Luci Firth soon became aware of the significance Asian consumers place on collagen as a daily part of their diet, and how far behind New Zealanders were in awareness about its claimed health benefits.
“In places like Japan you will find it regularly used as something you sprinkle on your rice, or buy it from a corner store to add to your cooking. We have been a bit slower to pick up on it,” Firth said.
Asian consumers have typically sought collagen as a “beauty from within” supplement for skin and hair appearance, and for improved joint health.
The high-grade food collagen Firth elected to use in her launch product is porcine-based and sourced from Japan. But countries that have been free of mad cow disease, including New Zealand, are also a source of collagen used in medical and supplement ingredients.
While working for her Japanese client, Firth says she vowed to create a shelf-stable bottle water product enhanced with collagen from pure NZ-sourced water.
Two years later Adashiko Collagen Refresh water has gone to market here, with a claim to being the world’s first shelf-stable collagen water product.
The launch has provided a valuable additional income stream for Hawke’s Bay-based Parkers Beverage Company (PBC), which specialises in juices, ciders, vinegars and bottled and carton water products.
PBC managing director Doug Speedy says the decision to partner with Adashiko has provided a groundbreaking alternative water product in a market dominated by either still or sparkling options.
“Exporting bottled water from NZ can be a tough sell, there are relatively low barriers to entry and little point of differentiation, which has commoditised the category,” Speedy said.
He has detected a growth in interest on a global level for Kiwi-made wellness products.
“The initial discussions we have had with buyers overseas suggest this will be a key differentiator for us as part of our export marketing strategy,” he said.
The global collagen functional ready to drink category is valued at US$2 billion, and growing.
Speedy says the challenge for putting the compound into shelf-stable drinking water was to ensure the taste was not greatly altered from standard water taste.
This required specialised pasteurising equipment purchased from Austria to control the preservation of the collagen without altering taste or appearance.
“After several iterations in the trial process it was the purity of the ingredients of collagen and water that helped us create a shelf-stable final product – the first time this has been done,” he said.
“The collagen also gives the water a crisp, light taste and there was no need for additional flavours to mask any bitter notes that can be associated with this type of product.”
For Speedy the move to the functional drink market marks an expansion that also includes a soon-to-be released apple cider vinegar aimed at the livestock “wellness” market, along with trials on developing a beer-based vinegar.
“There is a tremendous level of waste in the brewing industry and this could be a good way to help reduce that.”
To date, research proving anecdotal claims about collagen has been lacking.
In September last year Lewis Road Creamery dropped health claims for its collagen-infused milk after being called out by the Consumer magazine for failing to comply with the Food Standards Code.
The company had claimed the collagen specifically aided joint health and mobility.
Companies are required to provide evidence to substantiate health claims before using them to promote products, and be approved by Food Standards Australia and NZ.
To date, research evidence has proven mixed for claims about improving arthritic joint pain.
“We are expecting to see an increase in research that backs up the experience of its many consumers,” Firth said.
