Clarified - what we mean when we use the word “natural”

The word “natural” can cover a very broad meaning. At PB Leiner, we are all for clarity, so we would like to share with you what ‘natural’ means to us, and what you can expect when you work with us.

Put plain and simple: we stick to the ISO technical specification ISO/TS 19657:2017 - Definitions and technical criteria for food ingredients to be considered as natural.

This ISO specification states that a food ingredient can be considered as natural,

• … depending on which source material it is made of
• … and depending on the production process

Source material

The ISO specification lists the following sources as natural: plants, algae, fungi, animals, microorganisms, mineral deposits or sea water. We make gelatin and collagen peptides from the skin and bones of beef, pig, and fish, clearly animal sources. We take this residue from the meat and fish industry, and valorize it into high-end functional and nutritional ingredients.

Production process

Are considered natural by the specification: physical, enzymatic, and/or microbiological processes, and all processes that do not alter the chemical components of the ingredient. The intentional removal of one or more constituents during processing does not impact the consideration of the food ingredient as natural. Also, the addition or use of water does not stop a food ingredient from being considered natural.

Gelatin and collagen peptides are produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the skin and bones of animals, using hot water. During the production process, ions and salts are removed and water is taken out to finally end up with a dry product. The hydrolysis breaks down the original collagen into smaller units, so that they can functionally serve: either as gelatin, an all-round texturizer for food products, but also an indispensable ingredient for the pharmaceutical industry, or as collagen peptides to be absorbed by the body for health and nutrition purposes.

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