Meat processors are turning more of each cow into health and beauty products to capitalise on the booming wellness trend. Hides, bones, skin, cartilage, and tendons are being used to produce collagen for food, supplements, and beer, while beef fat is sold as moisturiser and colostrum as a protein-rich supplement. US collagen supplement sales rose 20% to $1.3bn in the year to October 24.
Companies like Brazil’s JBS and US-based Darling Ingredients are investing heavily in these byproducts. Darling’s food ingredients division, including collagen and gelatin, generated $263mn in adjusted EBITDA in the first nine months of 2026, up 24%. JBS is expanding its collagen business through Genu-in, investing R$400mn in a Brazilian factory that uses cattle skin.
Global collagen sales reached $4.4bn in 2025, with Darling holding about 30% of the market. The trend is supported by political figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who promotes meat and dairy as healthy alternatives to processed foods.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing