Taiwanese Healthcare Brand Develops Collagen Jelly Stick with Japanese OEM

"BeautyWell," a Taipei-based healthcare brand founded in 2021, identified the growing inner-beauty (beauty from within) market in Taiwan and planned to develop an easy-to-consume jelly stick-type collagen supplement.

Taiwanese consumers have extremely high trust in "Made in Japan" supplements, and Japan's low-molecular-weight collagen peptide technology is globally recognized. BeautyWell decided to leverage the "Made in Japan" brand and Japan's jelly manufacturing expertise to differentiate against competitors in Taiwan's e-commerce market.

Through OEM JAPAN, they consulted with 3 supplement and health food OEM manufacturers. Selection criteria included:

• In-house jelly stick production line
• Extensive experience formulating low-molecular-weight collagen peptides
• Ability to comply with Taiwan TFDA (Food and Drug Administration) import standards
• Cost-competitive for 10,000-box lot sizes
• Traditional Chinese language communication capability

Manufacturer G in Gifu Prefecture was selected. With over 30 million jelly sticks produced annually, Manufacturer G had deep export expertise for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. In-house Chinese-speaking staff ensured smooth communication throughout the project.

BeautyWell wanted a high-concentration jelly with 5,000mg of fish collagen peptide per stick. The mango-flavored formula needed to balance taste appeal with functional efficacy.

Phase	Duration	Details
Formulation Design	0.5 months	Collagen source selection, supplementary ingredient (Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid) formulation
Prototype 1-2	1.5 months	Texture and taste adjustment, collagen odor masking
Stability Testing	1 month	Accelerated aging test, ingredient stability verification
Packaging & Production	2 months	Traditional Chinese label design, 10,000-box manufacturing and inspection

The primary challenge was masking the fishy odor from the 5,000mg high-concentration collagen peptide. Manufacturer G optimized the balance of mango purée and citric acid, achieving a formula with virtually no fishy taste within just 2 prototype rounds. Adding 500mg Vitamin C and 50mg hyaluronic acid enhanced the product's appeal as a beauty supplement.

The first lot was 10,000 boxes (15 sticks per box, 150,000 sticks total), manufactured at Manufacturer G's GMP-certified facility.

Quality control and export highlights:

• Collagen peptide molecular weight analysis (average below 3,000 daltons confirmed)
• "Imported Food Inspection Registration" documents prepared for Taiwan TFDA
• Nutritional and ingredient labeling designed in Traditional Chinese
• Per-lot microbiological and heavy metal testing conducted
• Air freight export arranged (for freshness preservation)

Launched as "BeautyWell Collagen Jelly 5000" on Taiwan's major e-commerce platforms (Shopee Taiwan, momo), the product achieved 2,000 boxes per month within the first month and is experiencing rapid growth in Taiwan's inner-beauty supplement market.

Key takeaways from this project:

• Jelly format advantage: Compared to tablets or capsules, the "tasty and convenient" jelly stick format resonates overwhelmingly with young female consumers in Taiwan
• Balancing high dosage with taste: While 5,000mg collagen is a strong differentiator, odor masking is essential. An experienced OEM manufacturer's masking technology is indispensable
• Taiwan e-commerce dynamics: Live commerce on Shopee Taiwan and momo drives significant sales. Consulting the OEM manufacturer on "Instagram-worthy" package design is also an effective strategy

BeautyWell plans to order a second lot of 20,000 boxes. New flavors (lychee and peach) and a men's protein jelly product are also in the pipeline, with plans to maintain a long-term partnership with the Japanese OEM manufacturer.