Eggshell Membrane
Eggshell membrane is the thin fibrous double layer that lies between the shell and the albumen of the hen's egg, separated from the shell after breaking and dried into a powder used in joint, skin and connective tissue supplements.
Structurally it is a non-woven mesh of cross linked protein fibres. Collagen types I, V and X form the backbone, and the mesh carries elastin, desmosine and isodesmosine, keratin, lysyl oxidase and, at lower levels, the glycosaminoglycans that give the ingredient its commercial identity: hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulphate, dermatan sulphate and glucosamine. That combination of matrix proteins with joint associated glycosaminoglycans in one natural material is why it is dosed in a few hundred milligrams rather than in grams.
It is a fine cream to light tan powder with a faint characteristic odour. Untreated membrane is heavily cross linked and therefore largely insoluble, dispersing in water rather than dissolving, and this grade is filled into capsules and tablets. Hydrolysed grades, in which the cross links have been broken enzymatically, are water soluble and are used in drinks and sachets. The protein fraction is heat sensitive, so drying and any hydrolysis step are run at controlled temperature.
We source bulk Eggshell Membrane from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Jilin. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
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- Function
- Nutraceutical
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Cream to light tan fine powder |
| Identification | Amino acid profile conforms to reference |
| Crude Protein, dry basis | Not less than 80.0% |
| Collagen | Not less than 25.0% |
| Chondroitin Sulphate | Not less than 1.0% |
| Hyaluronic Acid | Not less than 0.5% |
| Residual Shell as Ash | Not more than 5.0% |
| Loss on Drying | Not more than 8.0% |
| Particle Size | 95% through 100 mesh |
| Lead | Not more than 1.0 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | Not more than 1.0 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | Not more than 10,000 CFU/g |
| Yeast and Mould | Not more than 100 CFU/g |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
The primary split is between the standard insoluble powder and the hydrolysed soluble grade. Standard membrane powder is specified on protein, on the declared glycosaminoglycan markers and on residual shell content, and is the grade behind most capsule and tablet products. Hydrolysed or partially hydrolysed membrane is specified additionally on solubility and on molecular weight distribution, and is the grade used where the ingredient must go into a clear beverage or a stick pack.
Residual shell is the parameter buyers watch most closely, because separation is imperfect and calcium carbonate carried through as shell fragments dilutes the active fraction while inflating the ash figure. Specifications therefore set both a minimum protein and a maximum ash. Beyond that, grades differ by particle size, from a standard milled powder to a micronised grade for beverages, and by whether the material has been treated to reduce microbiological load. Some producers standardise on collagen content and others on hyaluronic acid or chondroitin sulphate, so the marker basis has to be checked when comparing lots.
Applications
- Joint health capsules and tablets, the principal outlet, dosed at a few hundred milligrams
- Mobility and comfort supplements for older consumers, blended with collagen peptide or curcumin
- Sports nutrition recovery formulations aimed at connective tissue loading
- Skin, hair and nail products, using the collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid fractions
- Beauty drinks and collagen sachets, where the hydrolysed grade dissolves cleanly
- Functional gummies and chewables in the joint and beauty categories
- Combination products with glucosamine and chondroitin, where the membrane supplies the same actives in a natural matrix
- Companion animal joint supplements for dogs, cats and horses
- Cosmetic and topical preparations formulated around the membrane protein fraction
Brands Using Eggshell Membrane
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Eggshell Membrane on the ingredient label.
- Healthy OriginsEggshell Membrane (NEM) 500 mg Veggie Capsules ↗A single-ingredient capsule of natural eggshell membrane (NEM), 500 mg per capsule, supplying chondroitin sulphate, collagen and hyaluronic acid.Label verified 2026-08-31
- CodeageMulti Collagen Peptides Powder Vanilla ↗Collagen powder that blends bovine and fish collagen peptides with bone broth and eggshell membrane collagen.Label verified 2026-08-31
- CodeageMulti Collagen+ with Vitamin C and Biotin ↗Capsule formula listing eggshell membrane collagen alongside bovine, fish and chicken bone broth collagen, with vitamin C and biotin.Label verified 2026-08-31
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Eggshell Membrane
Top Eggshell Membrane manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States, eggshell membrane is marketed as a dietary ingredient under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, and commercial preparations have been the subject of new dietary ingredient notifications and self affirmed GRAS determinations for defined uses. Egg is a major allergen under the Food Allergen Labelling and Consumer Protection Act, so the ingredient and any product containing it must carry an egg declaration. The processing plant operates under the Food Safety Modernization Act preventive controls, with Salmonella control the critical point given the raw material.
In the European Union, eggshell membrane is an animal by-product and must be derived from Category 3 material handled in an approved establishment under the animal by-products rules before it can be used in food. As an ingredient without a demonstrated history of significant consumption in the Union before May 1997, a membrane preparation is assessed under the novel food regulation and requires authorisation and entry on the Union list, with the authorisation setting the specification and the permitted uses. Eggs and products of eggs are Annex II allergens under the food information regulation and must be declared. It is not a food additive, carries no E number, and there is no JECFA specification for it.
Manufacturing Process
The starting material is wet shell from egg breaking plants, which carries the membrane still adhering to its inner surface. Because the wet by-product spoils quickly, it is washed promptly in warm water to strip residual albumen and yolk, then fed to the separation step that defines the process. Mechanical separation uses agitation in water combined with hydrocyclones, flotation or air classification to separate on the density difference between the light fibrous membrane and the dense calcite shell, and some plants use a vacuum or airflow separator on dried shell instead. Because neither route separates cleanly in one pass, the recovered membrane is put through repeated washing and classification cycles until the residual shell falls within specification.
The washed membrane is dewatered and dried at controlled temperature, in fluid bed, vacuum or freeze dryers depending on the grade, since excessive heat denatures the collagen and darkens the powder. Dried membrane is milled, most often in impact or jet mills because the fibrous material is tough, and air classified to the target particle size, then given a low temperature sterilisation to bring down the microbiological load carried from the breaking plant. Where a soluble grade is the target, the washed membrane is instead treated with food grade proteases under controlled temperature and pH to cleave the cross linked matrix, the digest is filtered and ultrafiltered to set the molecular weight range, then concentrated and spray dried. All streams finish with sieving, assay against the declared markers, blending and packing.
