Most collagen ingredients on the market are collagen hydrolysates described by their average molecular weight. R&D teams formulating premium beauty, joint or healthy-ageing supplements often find that every supplier offers a similar specification, which makes the finished product hard to differentiate.
Fish Collagen Tripeptide is specified differently: by guaranteed tripeptide content. The tripeptide fraction (Gly-X-Y, the repeating sequence of collagen that includes Gly-Pro-Hyp) is guaranteed at ≥15% in the standard grade and ≥25% in the high grade. It is determined by molecular-weight distribution (gel-filtration chromatography), and the measured value is reported on the certificate of analysis for each lot.
The product is made in Japan from the skin of farm-raised fish. The skin is converted into gelatin, which is hydrolysed enzymatically down to the tripeptide unit, purified and dried to a powder.
Average molecular weight describes a whole distribution of peptides of different sizes. It does not tell a formulator how much of the product is present as the smallest collagen unit. The collagen tripeptide (CTP) is three amino acids in the Gly-X-Y sequence that repeats along the collagen molecule - the smallest basic unit of collagen. This ingredient guarantees how much of the powder is present in that form, and each lot certificate shows the measured result.
Published human data show that plasma Gly-Pro-Hyp rises after oral intake of collagen tripeptide (Yamamoto et al., Biol Pharm Bull, 2016; the study material was not this specific grade). Further published work on collagen tripeptide includes in vitro studies on human dermal fibroblasts and animal studies on skin, cartilage, tendon and bone - see the research list below. These studies describe the ingredient class. They are not health claims for a finished product; claims for a finished product are the brand owner's responsibility under the rules of each market.
≥15% grade - powder, tripeptide content ≥15%. Manufacturer's recommended intake: 1 g/day. 10 kg bag.
≥25% grade - powder, tripeptide content ≥25%. Manufacturer's recommended intake: 0.8 g/day. 10 kg bag.
The right grade depends on your format, serving size, positioning and cost per serving. We can send the specifications of both grades so you can compare them.
Appearance: White to pale yellow powder.
Off-taste / off-odour: None.
pH: 6.0 - 8.5.
Loss on drying: ≤ 8%.
Residue on ignition: ≤ 5%.
Heavy metals: ≤ 20 ppm.
Arsenic: ≤ 1 ppm.
Total plate count: ≤ 1,000 /g.
Coliforms: Negative.
Shelf life: 3 years.
Allergen: Contains fish (fish gelatin).
Hard capsules, tablets, stick packs and sachets, powdered drinks, beauty drinks and shots. Because the manufacturer's recommended intake is around 1 g per day or less, the ingredient can fit compact formats such as capsules and single-serve sticks. The specification lists no off-taste and no off-odour for the powder; behaviour in your finished product should be confirmed in a bench test.
Formulation examples:
Stick pack or sachet: one daily serving with the ≥25% grade at the manufacturer's recommended 0.8 g, combined with the other actives of your formula.
Capsules: the ≥15% grade at 1 g per day, usually split across two or more capsules; fill weight depends on capsule size and should be confirmed in your trial.
Pricing is volume-tiered for both small R&D quantities and production volumes. All prices are EXW Japan (Takasaki, Gunma).
MOQ is 1 kg per grade per order. Evaluation samples are available free of charge for qualified inquiries with verified company information. Supplied EXW Japan, or delivered door-to-door to the US on a quoted DAP/DDP basis.
Manufactured in Japan in an FDA-registered food facility. Standard packing is a 10 kg kraft bag. Shelf life is 3 years from production in the original sealed packaging. Each lot comes with a certificate of analysis.
Request the specification, a sample and a current price quote for the grade that fits your application - we ship from Takasaki, Gunma, Japan.
Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the human body. It forms the structural matrix of skin, bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament and blood vessel walls. A native collagen molecule is a triple helix built from about 3,000 amino acids. Hydrolysed collagen, also called collagen peptide, is made by cutting native collagen into smaller fragments, typically chains of roughly 30-100 amino acids.
The collagen tripeptide (CTP) is the smallest basic unit of collagen: three amino acids following the Gly-X-Y pattern that defines collagen's structure. About one third of all amino acids in collagen are glycine (Gly), and proline and hydroxyproline often occupy the X and Y positions, which gives sequences such as Gly-Pro-Hyp.
Collagen ingredients are commonly marketed by average molecular weight, with claims such as "low molecular weight collagen". Average molecular weight is a single number describing a distribution of peptides of many sizes. A product with a low average can still contain a large share of longer peptides, balanced by very small fragments. The average alone does not show how much of the product is present as di- and tripeptides.
In the small intestine, di- and tripeptides can be taken up by the peptide transporter PEPT1, while longer peptides are first broken down further. This is why the tripeptide fraction is a meaningful specification parameter for formulators. Our Fish Collagen Tripeptide grades specify guaranteed tripeptide content (≥15% or ≥25%) rather than only an average molecular weight.
Published studies on collagen tripeptide and collagen-derived peptides describe three areas of interest. These findings come from human absorption data, in vitro and animal studies on the ingredient class; they are not health claims for a finished product.
Absorption. Gly-Pro-Hyp and Pro-Hyp have been detected in human plasma after oral intake of collagen tripeptide [1].
Cell studies. In vitro, adding collagen tripeptide to human dermal fibroblasts increased collagen and hyaluronic acid production, and in human osteoblasts it increased type I collagen gene expression [2].
Animal studies. Animal studies have looked at skin, cartilage, tendon and bone outcomes after oral collagen tripeptide [3]-[5].
"Collagen peptide" is a broad term for hydrolysed collagen with an average molecular weight of several thousand daltons. It is a mixture of peptides of many sizes and is usually sold without a guaranteed tripeptide content.
"Collagen tripeptide" refers to products enriched in the Gly-X-Y tripeptide fraction through controlled enzymatic processing. Our Fish Collagen Tripeptide grades guarantee ≥15% or ≥25% tripeptide content, measured on each lot. Because the manufacturer's recommended intake is around 1 g per day (≥15% grade) or 0.8 g per day (≥25% grade), the ingredient suits compact formats.
The collagen comes from the skin of farm-raised fish and is processed in Japan. Fish is a declared allergen: label the finished product according to the fish allergen rules of your market.
The manufacturer's documentation for its collagen tripeptide ingredients lists food-ingredient safety testing, including acute and repeated-dose toxicity and mutagenicity tests. Ask us for the documents relevant to your application.
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and high humidity. The powder is hygroscopic: once a bag is opened, keep the remaining powder in a sealed moisture-barrier container. Shelf life is 3 years from production in the original sealed packaging.
【1】 Yamamoto S. et al. Human absorption study: plasma Gly-Pro-Hyp and Pro-Hyp after oral intake of collagen tripeptide. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 39(3): 428-434 (2016). The study material was not this specific grade.
【2】 In vitro studies on human dermal fibroblasts (collagen and hyaluronic acid production) and human osteoblasts (type I collagen gene expression), reported in the manufacturer's technical documentation.
【3】 Animal study on skin (oral administration, mouse model). Preventive Nutrition and Food Science 17: 245-253 (2012).
【4】 Animal study on dry skin (mouse model). Journal of Dermatological Science 65: 136-143 (2012).
【5】 Animal studies on cartilage and tendon (rabbit and rat models). Pharmacometrics 89 (5/6): 115-124 (2015).
Standard fish collagen peptide is a hydrolysate described by its average molecular weight, usually without a guaranteed tripeptide content. Fish Collagen Tripeptide is hydrolysed further to the three-amino-acid unit of collagen (Gly-X-Y) and guarantees the tripeptide fraction at ≥15% or ≥25% of the powder; each lot certificate reports the measured value. The manufacturer's recommended intake is 1 g/day for the 15% grade and 0.8 g/day for the 25% grade.
MOQ is 1 kg per grade per order. For 1-4 kg the price is 180 USD/kg for the 15% grade and 400 USD/kg for the 25% grade; in the 10-50 kg tier it is 125 USD/kg and 250 USD/kg (EXW Japan), down to 105 USD/kg for the 15% grade above 100 kg. Evaluation samples are free for qualified inquiries. Supplied EXW Japan, or delivered door-to-door to the US on a quoted DAP/DDP basis. Shelf life is 3 years from production. Each lot comes with a certificate of analysis.
The manufacturer's recommended intake is 1 g/day for the 15% grade and 0.8 g/day for the 25% grade. The right grade depends on your format, serving size, positioning and cost per serving; both are white to pale yellow powders with no off-taste or off-odour by specification. We can send both specifications so you can compare them for your formula.
Three things. The specification guarantees the tripeptide fraction (≥15% or ≥25%) instead of describing the product only by average molecular weight. Each lot comes with a certificate of analysis that reports the measured tripeptide content. And the product is made in Japan from the skin of farm-raised fish in an FDA-registered food facility.
