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Ultra-low-MW wool-keratin peptides for life-stage health in clear drinks: neutral taste/texture, heat stable, non-GMO, commercial supply, and a GRAS notification path.
About
KeratiClear Peptides are ultra-low molecular-weight wool-keratin peptides designed for powders and ready-to-drink beverages. We fractionate to
Key Benefits
Designed for beverages first: neutral taste/texture at typical use levels, clear in solution across pH 3–7, and heat stable for pasteurization. Clinically supported keratin hydrolysates provide outcomes in hair, skin, and nail appearance and strength, creating fast, credible consumer benefits while we develop secondary endpoints (antioxidant/healthy-aging). Ingredients are non-GMO, clean-label recognizable (“keratin peptides from wool”), and commercially available today, with scalable sourcing and QA. A defined GRAS pathway and co-development plan give a clear route to commercialization.
Applications
Functional RTD beverages and drink mixes targeting beauty-from-within, healthy-aging, and post-partum support; teen/young-adult hair-skin-nail formats; and women’s health SKUs seeking an alternative to collagen/biotin. Geography: North America, EU/UK, APAC—initially via capsule/sachet + RTD line extensions, then full clear beverage SKUs as clinical substantiation expands. Buyers: innovation, nutrition science, regulatory, and marketing teams at global beverage/CPG brands.
Multiple randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials on oral wool-keratin hydrolysate (e.g., Cynatine® HNS, 500 mg/day for 90 days) report improvements in hair, skin, and nails versus placebo, with good tolerability. Recent work on extensively hydrolyzed keratin/“free keratin hydrolysates” further supports nutricosmetic outcomes and positions these as aminobiotics, not only macronutrients. We will align claims and dose with PepsiCo’s clinical guidance and, if required, run secondary, beverage-matrix studies.
Keratin peptides are not listed in 21 CFR 184; our plan is GRAS self-affirmation based on publicly available tox/clinical data and specifications, followed by an FDA GRAS Notice to formalize the position. In parallel, we’ll map EU novel food needs if applicable. Ingredients are non-GMO, halal/kosher options exist, and supply is available from established wool-keratin producers; our role is beverage-grade finishing, QC, and documentation.
Minimal/no taste & texture: sub-1 kDa fraction + de-bittering → neutral sensory in clear acidic and neutral bases; heat-stable to HTST; clarity via ultrafiltration/activated-carbon polish; non-GMO from sheep wool; commercially available; clean label as “keratin peptides (from wool).” Clinical evidence present today; regulatory route: GRAS self-affirmation → notice; TRL 5–6 with direct path to pilot in 6–12 months.
Seeking $60,000 (USD) to run beverage-specific finishing (debittering/clarity), sensory at use-levels, heat-hold stability, and a PepsiCo-coauthored GRAS dossier; optional matrix bridging to support claims.
Co-development and ingredient supply/tech transfer (beverage-grade peptide fraction + finishing SOPs), with field-of-use licensing and optional exclusivity in specified beverage categories. AMBER (Trinity College Dublin) can—subject to internal approval—contribute additional in-kind person-hours and instrument time to extend innovation (e.g., life-stage formulations, dose-response, claim language) beyond the requested budget.