The Truth about Collagen: EU vs. US Sourcing

In a world brimming with wellness products and bold claims, one question often goes unasked: where does your supplement truly come from? 

This question carries more weight than most realize. Behind every scoop of collagen powder or capsule lies a story of farming practices, regulations, and values that shape what ultimately nourishes your body. At Ancient + Brave, we believe true wellness begins with transparency, not just about what you’re taking, but about the soil, animals, people, and principles that bring it to life. Health is not separate from the natural world: it’s a reflection of it.

Let’s explore a truth the supplement industry often overlooks: the profound differences between European and American livestock systems, and why those differences matter when choosing your collagen.

Collagen Sourcing Compared

The contrast between EU and US sourcing is more than geographical: it reflects distinct worldviews on food production, animal welfare, and the balance between efficiency and ethics. In the United States, agriculture often leans toward large-scale industrial systems, prioritizing high yields and lower costs. In the European Union, smaller, regionally rooted farming practices prevail, emphasizing environmental stewardship, traceability, and community-based agriculture.

When you choose collagen, you’re not just selecting a product: you’re aligning with a philosophy about how animals are raised, what practices are acceptable, and what trade-offs matter between cost and quality.

The Hormone Divide

Since 1989, the European Union has taken a firm stance, prohibiting growth-promoting hormones in livestock. This precautionary policy, rooted in public health and ethical farming, bans six synthetic hormones commonly used in US beef production, such as trenbolone acetate and zeranol, which accelerate growth and reduce feed time.

Research shows these hormones, like estradiol, can leave measurable residues in muscle tissue. While these levels meet US regulatory limits, the EU’s approach prioritizes caution, restricting substances until their long-term safety is certain. Choosing EU-sourced collagen means selecting ingredients from animals raised without these growth-promoting hormones, reflecting a commitment to consumer protection and ethical care.

The Antibiotic Question

If hormones highlight a philosophical divide, antibiotics underscore a public health one. In the US, over two-thirds of medically important antibiotics are used in livestock, often preventively in healthy animals, contributing to antimicrobial resistance, a global health challenge noted by the World Health Organization.

The EU, by contrast, banned antibiotics for growth promotion in 2006 and, in 2022, prohibited routine preventive use, allowing only therapeutic use under veterinary supervision. This has led to a 40 percent reduction in livestock antibiotic use across the EU over the past decade. In the US, while growth-promotion use was restricted in 2017, preventive administration remains common, with per-animal antibiotic use in beef cattle 9 to 16 times higher than in the UK.

The EU’s model emphasizes prevention through better welfare and environments, while the US relies more on pharmaceutical intervention.

Why Sourcing Standards Matter

You might wonder whether sourcing matters once collagen is purified. While processes like filtration and hydrolysis refine the final product, the origin of the collagen remains significant. Collagen from animals raised in low-stress, low-intervention systems reflects a more sustainable and transparent supply chain. Sourcing from regions with stringent oversight, like the EU, reduces the risk of residue exposure and upholds higher welfare and environmental standards. When you choose EU-sourced collagen, you’re supporting a system that values traceability, safety, and responsibility from farm to finished powder.

The Rise of Transparency

Today’s consumers demand clarity. The Acosta Group’s 2024 Clean Label Insights Study reveals that 81 percent of shoppers prioritize clean-label products, with nearly three in four reconsidering purchases based on sourcing transparency.

At Ancient + Brave, we meet this demand with rigor. Ancient + Brave bovine collagen has taken part in independent testing by labs using using advanced LC-MS/MS methods which are a robust and validated way to screen for antibiotic residues, hormones, heavy metals, and microbiological contaminants. We don’t test because it’s required: we test because you deserve to know, with scientific certainty, what you’re putting into your body.

The differences between EU and US sourcing are clear, as shown in the comparison below:

Beyond Regulation: Ancestral Wisdom Meets Modern Innovation

Beneath the technical details lies a simple truth our ancestors understood: the health of an animal shapes the quality of what we derive from it. Animals raised in harmony with their natural behaviors, and living without constant pharmaceutical intervention, yield by-products of a fundamentally different quality. European agriculture often honors this bond between land, animal, and farmer, viewing farming as stewardship rather than extraction. At Ancient + Brave, we see this as a fusion of ancestral wisdom and modern innovation. This is not nostalgia, but evolution. Clean, traceable sourcing is not about perfection, but about intention, embodying care, consciousness, and responsibility.

5 Questions to Ask Before Choosing Collagen

When it comes to collagen, choosing with awareness matters. Beyond ingredients and claims, it’s worth understanding the story behind the product and how it’s sourced, tested, and brought to life. These five questions can help you make a more informed and aligned choice.

1. Where does it come from?
   Look for clear geographic sourcing such as the EU, UK, or certified wild-caught origins. Transparency around location often reflects stronger welfare and quality standards.
   
   

2. How were the animals raised?
   Ethical farming practices matter. Check whether the brand shares details about hormone and antibiotic use and how it supports animal welfare across its supply chain.
   
   

3. Is it independently tested?
   Quality collagen should be verified by ISO 17025 accredited laboratories. Independent testing ensures purity, safety, and consistency. Trustworthy brands make results accessible.
   
   

4. What is actually in it?
   Choose hydrolyzed collagen peptides for easy absorption and digestibility. Simplicity is key, so avoid unnecessary additives, gums, or flavorings.
   
   

5. Does the brand uphold its values?
   Look for clear sourcing standards, transparent communication, and published testing protocols. Integrity shows through consistency and openness. 

At Ancient + Brave, our collagen range embodies this commitment. True Collagen comes from EU cattle raised without growth-promoting hormones or routine antibiotics. Wild Collagen is sourced from MSC-certified wild-caught fish in the North Atlantic. Each batch is independently tested for purity and safety, ensuring transparency and respect for people, planet, and science.

The Path Forward

The collagen industry will evolve only as consumers demand better. Every purchase is a vote for transparency, welfare, and ecological responsibility. Clean sourcing isn’t just about what’s absent from a product: it’s about what that integrity represents. Every decision in our supply chain, from EU sourcing to rigorous testing, reflects our belief that true wellness arises from alignment between science and nature, ethics and efficacy, people and planet.

When you choose Ancient + Brave, you’re choosing collagen that stands for more than beauty or performance. You’re supporting a standard of transparency that protects animal welfare, promotes sustainable agriculture, and empowers you to trust what you consume. That’s what clean collagen means to us: clarity, credibility, and care in every serving.

Ancient + Brave collagens are produced in accordance with EU food-safety and quality regulations. This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References & Further Reading

1. Carvalho et al. (2020). Effects of Steroidal Implants on Growth and Estradiol Concentration in Cattle. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6994095/

2. Wallinga et al. (2022). Effectiveness of U.S. Policies on Antibiotic Use in Livestock. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9090690/

3. CIDRAP (2024). U.S. Lagging Europe in Efforts to Cut Antibiotics in Livestock. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobial-stewardship/us-lagging-europe-efforts-cut-antibiotics-livestock

4. Rahman & Hollis (2023). The Effect of Antibiotic Usage on Resistance in Humans and Food-Producing Animals. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1170426/

5. Acosta et al. (2025). The Future of Antibiotic Use in Livestock. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56825-7