Hainan company transforms fish waste into high-value collagen products

Fish scales and skin undergo a remarkable transformation into packets of small-molecule collagen peptides inside the production workshop of Hainan Huayan Collagen Technology Co., Ltd., located in the Haikou National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Haikou, south China's Hainan Province.

These refined peptides have found extensive applications in industries such as food, cosmetics, and medicine.

Photo shows small-molecule peptides made from fish skin and scales. (People's Daily Online/Fu Wuping)

"You could say that the beverages people drink daily, the health supplements they take, and the cosmetics they use all rely on our products," said Qi Xinyuan, a researcher in the company's research and development (R&D) department.

Through the innovative utilization and reprocessing of fish scales and skin, the company has established itself as China's leading brand in the peptide sector and emerged as a key player in the nation's marine economy.

The process appears deceptively simple: fish scales and skin enter specialized equipment, undergo a series of procedures, and emerge as cyclic dipeptide products. However, during the initial development phase, the company's team faced formidable challenges.

Zhao Zifang, deputy general manager of the company, said the team spent two and a half years conducting nearly 3,000 experiments to develop the crucial equipment for producing cyclic dipeptides.

Photo shows products developed by Hainan Huayan Collagen Technology Co., Ltd. (People's Daily Online/Fu Wuping)

Benefiting from Haikou's supportive policies for the development of private enterprises, the company's independent innovation program received substantial government funding.

Today, the company's globally pioneering equipment can transform fish scales purchased at approximately 4 yuan ($0.56) per kilogram into collagen cyclic dipeptides valued at 2,000 yuan per kilogram. The company produces over 20 kinds of fish collagen peptides, and these products have been exported to more than 50 countries and regions.

Currently, 85 percent of the company's R&D personnel hold master's degrees or higher, including eight professors and PhD holders, and six provincially recognized high-level talents.

The company has undertaken 17 national, provincial, and municipal research projects, achieving 14 significant technical results.

A staff member works at a lab of Hainan Huayan Collagen Technology Co., Ltd. (People's Daily Online/Fu Wuping)

Backed by a high-level research team, the company has established China's first fish collagen lab and first specialized fish collagen production plant.

It has been recognized as a national high-tech enterprise, a national marine innovation demonstration enterprise, a specialized and sophisticated company recognized by Hainan, and a gazelle enterprise recognized by the province.