How Seagarden’s Marine Collagen is made
The Marine Collagen Production Process – Step by Step
When asked about the production process, Seagarden’s production manager, Øyvind Silgjerd, lays out a story that revolves around people, not machines.
“Everyone here is focused on quality,” he says. “Whether you work in production, sales, or HR — we’re all aiming for the same thing.”
That shared mindset is what has driven one of the most significant transformations in Seagarden’s history. Over the years, the marine collagen production process has evolved step by step — not through one major shift, but through continuous improvements. Each adjustment, each refinement, has had one goal: higher quality.
The result is a modern, highly controlled process for producing marine collagen from fish skin.
At Seagarden, the journey from raw material to finished collagen powder involves multiple carefully controlled steps.
1. Raw Material Reception and Freezing
The process begins with the reception of fresh fish skin. The frozen raw material is kept cool to ensures that the collagen structure remains intact from the very beginning.
2. Production Intake and Quality Control
Before processing starts, the raw material undergoes strict quality control. At the same time, waste is sorted at the source, ensuring both efficiency and sustainability in the production flow.
3. Grinding (Making the Material Pumpable)
The frozen raw material is crushed into smaller particles. This step makes the material pumpable and prepares it for further processing.
4. Washing
The fish skin is transferred into tanks where it is washed thoroughly. Water is drained off to remove impurities, ensuring a clean starting point for extraction.
5. Extraction of Collagen
The cleaned raw material is heated in a controlled process. This allows the collagen to dissolve into water, forming the basis of the liquid collagen extract.
6. Separation
Solid residues are removed from the liquid. This step isolates the collagen-rich solution from unwanted by-products.
7. Enzymatic Treatment
Enzymes are added to break down the collagen proteins into smaller peptides. This step is essential for producing high-quality, bioavailable marine collagen.
8. Filtration
The liquid is filtered to remove remaining impurities, further refining the collagen solution.
9. Water Removal (Membrane Filtration)
Using advanced membrane technology (nanofiltration), a significant portion of the water is removed. This concentrates the collagen solution while maintaining its quality.
10. Adsorption Filtration
Additional filtration removes trace impurities, ensuring a clean and consistent product.
11. Evaporation
The solution is further concentrated using a falling film evaporator, removing more water in an energy-efficient way.
12. Spray Drying
In the final drying stage, the remaining water is removed. The liquid is transformed into a fine collagen powder — the final product.
13. Packaging and Quality Control
Before packaging, the product undergoes strict quality checks, including weight control and powder property analysis. Only then is it labeled and packed.
14. Finished Goods Storage
The final product is stored and prepared for distribution to customers worldwide.
Continuous Improvement Driven by People
While the process itself is highly technical, the real driver behind Seagarden’s quality lies elsewhere.
Over the past eight years, the production manager has seen how incremental improvements — in technology, routines, and collaboration — have shaped the process into what it is today. But none of it would have happened without the people behind it.
“What stands out,” he explains, “is that everyone takes ownership of quality. It’s not just a department — it’s part of how we work.”
This culture ensures that improvements never stop. Each step in the marine collagen production process is constantly evaluated and refined.
Because at Seagarden, producing collagen is not just about extracting proteins from fish skin.
It’s about doing it better — every single day.