The death of a thousand cuts as another source of animal ag value could disappear with Geltor Inc. releasing its PrimaColl synthetic biology (synbio) derived collagen. As I’ve mentioned before the “meat” industry is not all about meat. It’s a complex web of products from enzymes to blood products as well as meat. As a mature industry every part of the animal needs to be sold so companies can make a profit. If one source of value is lost the rest of the products need to increase in price to balance the equation.
Products like PrimaColl decouple this equation by bypassing the animal all together. If collagen products from synbio are just as functional and cheaper than that from animals then who’ll buy animal products? Animal collagen could become a niche player in a USD7.5bn market!
It’s claimed that “As a next-generation bioactive, PrimaColl was designed for use in ‘beauty-from-within’ formulations,” Geltor CEO Alex Lorestani told The Spoon via email. “And these could take form in anything from ready-to-drink beverages or powder mixes, to collagen-infused snack foods, gummies, and more.” So the applications are extremely broad.
How many threads can be cut from the web before it collapses? Collapse of the meat industry probably won’t come anytime soon, but never say never!
