Collagen Peptides: How to Read the Label
A tub of collagen peptides looks simple: one ingredient, one scoop. The Supplement Facts panel has a surprise, though. It can list 18 g of protein next to a Daily Value of 0%. This guide walks through a collagen peptides label line by line and explains that 0%. Our worked example is the one collagen we carry, Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, Unflavored. For the basics of panels and % Daily Values, start with our guide on how to read a supplement label.
How we wrote this: the label details come from the Vital Proteins panel image for the 19.3 oz canister, viewed in October 2026, and the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD) record 309504 for the same 19.3 oz (547 g) product. The rules come from the FDA labeling regulations at 21 CFR 101.36 and 21 CFR 101.9. We describe what the label and the rules say. We have not tested this product, the label on your tub may differ, and this is not diet or medical advice.
Step 1: Supplement Facts, not Nutrition Facts
Collagen peptides can be sold as a food or as a dietary supplement, and the panel tells you which. The Vital Proteins panel is headed “Supplement Facts”, and the DSLD label record gives the statement of identity as “Dietary Supplement”. That matters for the protein line, as you will see below. Foods such as protein bars use a Nutrition Facts panel instead, which our protein bar label guide covers.
Step 2: The panel line by line
Here is what the Vital Proteins panel image shows for one serving.
| Line | Amount per serving | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Serving size | 20 g | |
| Servings per container | About 28 | |
| Calories | 70 | |
| Protein | 18 g | 0%* |
| Sodium | 110 mg | 5% |
| Collagen peptides (from bovine) | 20 g | ** |
The footnotes read “*Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet” and “**Daily Value not established”. The DSLD label record lists the same calories, protein, sodium and 20 g of bovine collagen peptides.
Serving size
The serving is 20 g. The scoop or spoon count printed in the directions differs between the label versions we looked at, so go by the gram weight and the directions on your own tub.
Collagen peptides and protein are two lines
The label lists 20 g of collagen peptides and, on a separate line, 18 g of protein. The first is the weight of the ingredient. The second is the protein line that every panel with protein carries. Read them as two separate figures, and use the protein line when you compare collagen with other protein powders.
The double asterisk
Collagen peptides have no FDA Daily Value, so there is no percent next to them. Under 21 CFR 101.36(b)(2)(iii), a Supplement Facts panel gives a % Daily Value only for ingredients that have one. That is what the “**Daily Value not established” footnote means.
Step 3: Why 18 g of protein shows 0% Daily Value
This is the line that confuses most readers. It follows from two FDA rules and the label’s own amino acid list.
The rule: corrected protein
The FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g for adults and children 4 and older, per the reference table in 21 CFR 101.9(c)(9). On a Supplement Facts panel, the protein percent “shall be calculated using the corrected amount of protein”, per 21 CFR 101.36(b)(2)(iii). The corrected amount is defined in 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(ii): the grams multiplied by a protein quality score called PDCAAS (protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score, capped at 1.00), then divided by the Daily Value. So the percent is not simply grams divided by 50.
The amino acid list
The label itself describes collagen as incomplete. The Vital Proteins panel says “Collagen peptides are an incomplete protein that include a combination of 18 essential and non-essential amino acids, including glycine, hydroxyproline, proline and leucine.” The DSLD label record says the label states “Contains 8 of 9 essential amino acids” and prints a typical amino acid profile per serving. In that profile, glycine is listed at 3,719 mg, proline at 2,076 mg, hydroxyproline at 2,058 mg, leucine at 524 mg, and tryptophan, one of the nine essential amino acids, at 0 mg. The label calls this a typical profile, so it is an average, not a batch test.
Putting it together
By our calculation, using the label’s own amino acid list and the FDA rule: with tryptophan, an essential amino acid, listed at 0 mg, the amino acid score is 0, so the corrected protein is 0 g, and 0 g divided by 50 g is 0% Daily Value. That matches the 0% on the panel. Neither the label nor the brand states a PDCAAS number, so we do not give one as a published figure for collagen.
What this means for shopping: the 18 g on the protein line counts as grams of protein, but the 0% tells you it does not count toward the quality-corrected protein Daily Value. The label’s own note that collagen is incomplete says the same thing in plain words. Our protein powder buying guide compares collagen with whey, plant and egg powders if you want a complete protein as your main source. To see this panel next to two whey labels, read our collagen vs whey protein labels comparison.
Step 4: Sodium
The panel lists 110 mg of sodium and 5% Daily Value per 20 g serving. If you watch sodium, count it like any other line, especially if you use more than one serving a day.
Step 5: Ingredient and source
The only ingredient is collagen peptides “(from bovine)”, which the DSLD label record lists as “Bovine Collagen Peptides”, with the label statements “1 simple ingredient” and “Made with bovine collagen peptides”. Bovine means it comes from cattle, so it is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians. The panel does not say which part of the animal it comes from, so we do not either.
The DSLD label record also says the label carries the wording “Grass fed + pasture raised”. That is Vital Proteins’ own sourcing claim. We have not verified it.
Step 6: Cautions, allergens and directions
The Vital Proteins panel prints these lines:
- “If you are pregnant, nursing or have a medical condition, consult your physician before use.”
- “This product is manufactured in a facility that processes milk, fish, and tree nuts.”
- “Store in a cool, dry place. Do not use if safety seal is broken or missing.”
The DSLD label record also lists the notice “Use this product as a food supplement only. Do not use for weight reduction.” If you have a milk, fish or tree nut allergy, the facility statement is the line to read, and the package in your hand is the one to go by.
Step 7: Seals and badges
The panel image shows Gluten Free, Certified B Corporation and Kosher marks. Separately, this product appears on the NSF Certified for Sport listing, which includes the 547 g (19.3 oz) package and a 20 g serving. A listing is worth checking yourself, because it applies to specific products and sizes. Our guide to NSF Certified for Sport explains what that program covers and how to look a product up.
A quick collagen peptides label checklist
- Panel type: Supplement Facts or Nutrition Facts?
- Serving size: in grams. Compare grams, not scoops.
- Collagen peptides line: the ingredient weight, with no % Daily Value.
- Protein line: grams, plus the percent. A low or 0% percent reflects the quality correction.
- Amino acid note: does the label call the protein incomplete, and what does the profile list for tryptophan?
- Sodium: milligrams and percent per serving.
- Source: which animal or fish the collagen comes from, as named on the label.
- Cautions and facility statement: pregnancy, medical conditions and allergens processed in the same facility.
- Seals: check any third-party listing on the certifier’s own site.
FAQ
Why does collagen show 0% protein Daily Value?
On a Supplement Facts panel, the protein percent uses the quality-corrected amount of protein. By our calculation from the Vital Proteins label’s amino acid profile, which lists tryptophan at 0 mg, the corrected amount is 0 g, so the percent is 0%.
Does the 18 g of protein still count?
It is the grams of protein per serving, as declared. The 0% tells you it does not count toward the quality-corrected Daily Value. The label itself calls collagen peptides an incomplete protein.
Why does the label list 20 g of collagen peptides but 18 g of protein?
They are two separate lines: the weight of the ingredient and the protein line. The brand does not explain the difference on the label, so we do not guess at it.
Is there a published protein quality score for collagen?
We did not find one in a primary source. The FDA rule points to the FAO/WHO method for working out the score, not to values for specific foods, and the label does not give one. Our 0 comes from our own calculation using the label’s amino acid list.
Is collagen peptides vegetarian?
Not this one. The label names the source as bovine, which means it comes from cattle.
Does it contain milk or fish?
The only listed ingredient is bovine collagen peptides, but the label says the facility also processes milk, fish and tree nuts.
Where to go next
See the product page for Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, Unflavored, compare protein types in our protein powder buying guide, read how protein percent works on a food label in our protein bar label guide, see why a bone broth label has no collagen line in our bone broth label guide, check how NSF Certified for Sport works, or go back to the basics in how to read a supplement label.
Talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication, have a health condition or have a food allergy.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.