[Nutritive fibers of animal origin. Collagen and its fractions as essential components of new and efficient food products].

Data on the production of collagen and its fractions (which in many cases surpass the parent protein in functional properties), reported in the literature throughout the past two decades, are reviewed. The material presented elucidates the role played by collagen and its fractions in the development of new, ecologically pure foodstuffs containing nutritive fibers. As follows from the analysis of the data, collagen fractions with molecular weights in excess of 120 kDa offer the greatest promise for producing useful foodstuffs.