The beauty secret turned food: Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body - and it’s showing up more on menus as a functional ingredient aimed at health-conscious consumers seeking it out to support healthy hair, skin and nails - and even to treat hangovers. Most commonly appearing as a “booster” in smoothies, It’s a stand-out ingredient that consumers will be looking for more in the future, so it will be critical for food makers and operators to incorporate it where it makes sense and touting it in foods in which it’s already naturally occurring, like stock and bone broth.

Market research firm Datassentisl reports that collagen is found on 0.3% of U.S. menus, up 225% over the past four years.

Click through the gallery to learn more about this Flavor of the Week and see how one brand is using collagen on its menu.