Bovine Collagen Market

Market Overview

Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in our body and numerous animals. This protein can be obtained from bovine, ovine, porcine, marine, and poultry, and foods and supplements. Bovine collagen is primarily obtained from cows and, among all the types of collagen, bovine collagen holds the majority of the share in the global collagen market. Bovine collagen is generally made by boiling cow bones and other by-products of cows and other cattle.

Bovine collagen has several health benefits, including bone loss prevention, improved skin health, arthritis relief. According to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), the bovine collagen market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period 2020-2025. Increasing applications of bovine collagen in the food and beverage industry and the increasing adoption in the cosmetic industry is anticipated to drive the demand for bovine collagen in the near future. There are two popular collagens among all, bovine collagen and marine collagen.

Benefits of Bovine Collagen over Marine Collagen

• Marine collagen was extracted at a lower yield (1.2% yield), whereas bovine collagen extracted at 8-10% yield. 
• Marine collagen has a lower yield and higher price. Marine collagen costs USD 44,539 per metric tons, whereas bovine collagen costs USD 33,457 per metric tons. This is one of the major factors for the high demand for bovine collagen over other types of collagen.
• Moreover, BSE-free bovine collagen is extensively used in medical and nutraceutical as bovine collagen is more genetically compatible with humans than marine collagen. 

Market Dynamics

Allergies associated with Bovine Products among Consumers to Hinder Market Growth

Bovine milk allergy is one of the most common food allergies in early childhood and can persist through adult life. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, bovine milk has an estimated prevalence in developed countries ranging from 0.5% to 3% at the of 1 year, and this can persist to adulthood. Around 3% of the global population is allergic to bovine collagen. This factor is expected to be a restraint for the global bovine collagen market growth. 

Increasing Health Consciousness among Consumers

The growing health consciousness among consumers is forecasted to drive the bovine collagen market growth. Bovine collagen is one of the major building blocks in ligaments, tendons, bones, muscles, skin, and blood vessels. It also improves skin health and helps in bone loss prevention. The demand for the product is more among aged people. However, adults who are sports enthusiasts and who take weight training are also consuming bovine collagen for better bone, tendons, and ligaments health. The nutraceutical manufacturers are offering bovine collagen in the form of dietary supplements.

Increased Use of Collagen and Collagen Products in the Food & Beverage Industry

The application of bovine collagen is increasing in the food and beverage industry. The product is finding application in healthy drinks. Moreover, it is used in functional foods and beverages, dietary supplements, confectionery products, desserts, meat processing, among others. The demand for the product is increasing in the gummy confectionery products. Moreover, the product is a major contributor to the rising demand for hydrolyzed collagen and gelatin. The increasing demand from the health-conscious population for bovine collagen dietary supplements and functional foods and beverages will ultimately increase the market share of the food and beverage segment in the near future.

Regional Analysis

Asia-Pacific is one of the important markets for bovine collagen, the presence of countries such as India, China, and Australia are the major factor for market growth.  Australia’s BSE-free status is a significant factor for the bovine collagen consumption in the region. Moreover, the fast-growing cosmetics market in India is another significant factor for bovine collagen consumption in the Asia-Pacific. According to Euromonitor, the sales of beauty and personal care products in India is also growing in rural areas at a fast pace.

The growth of beauty and personal care products in the rural areas of India was recorded at 7.6% between 2014 to 2016 whereas, the growth in urban and metro areas was 6.5% and 5.6%, respectively. This is due to the increasing consciousness about grooming in rural areas among young and millennials. Moreover, the rural lifestyle and habits have started mirroring urban lifestyle and aspirations. These factors are expected to impact the bovine collagen market in the region significantly as bovine collagen is increasingly finding applications in the beauty and personal care sector. 

Europe is expected to be the largest market for bovine collagen. This is due to the presence of a highly health-conscious population in the region. Also, the regional market is expected to benefit from the presence of large sugar confectionery manufacturers such as Astir and Britannia Superfine. Moreover, the growth in various end-user industries such as food and beverage, healthcare, and cosmetics in the region is anticipated to further drive the market.

According to cosmetics Europe, the regional cosmetics market was valued at approximately USD 89 million in 2019. Moreover, the highly growing meat processing industry in Europe is expected to fuel the production of bovine collagen. Europe has a large number of slaughters, which are encouraging bovine collagen manufacturers to set up their production facility in Europe.

Pros and Cons of Bovine

Segmental Analysis

Increasing Application of Bovine Collagen for Bone Treatments

Based on application, the bovine collagen market has been segmented into food and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and others. The pharmaceutical application segment accounts for the largest share in the bovine collagen market. This is due to the extensive use of bovine collagen in nutraceutical products, dietary supplements, and other medicines to cure several diseases such as arthritis, bone disease, skin disease, among others. This product is used in pharmaceutical products as bone void filler for bone development. The pharmaceutical segment accounted for around 50% of the market share in the bovine collagen market in 2019.

Fig 1: Global Bovine Collagen Market Share (%) by Application, 2019

Source: RM Analysis, Secondary Research

Growing Skin Care Products Demand to Fuel Bovine Collagen Growth

The cosmetic segment is expected to be the fastest-growing application for the bovine collagen market. The demand for the product is increasing in the cosmetics owing to its properties that help in dermis treatment for hair and nail healing. Moreover, it is being extensively incorporated into beauty and personal care products for skin treatment. It rejuvenates skin, makes skin appearance better, and helps to prevent dull and saggy skin.

Considering all these benefits of bovine collagen cosmetics, consumers are demanding products for their skin problems, which in turn increasing the consumption of bovine collagen in cosmetics products. The growing cosmetics industry will also aid in increasing the bovine collagen market. According to Statista, the North American share of cosmetics was 24% in 2019, and the global skincare product market value was estimated at USD 142.5 billion in 2019. The skin care products market grew by 5.5% compared to 2018.