As a subsidiary of Thai Union Group, the company develops by-products from tuna processing into high-value marine nutrition ingredients, with its portfolio comprising three main products, namely tuna collagen, tuna oil, and tuna calcium.
A vertically integrated supplier, the entire manufacturing process from catch through to the finished ingredient is managed by the company.
According to Senior Director Leena Uabumrungjit, Thai Union Group has a strong focus on and is investing heavily into sustainability, and there are still many opportunities for the company to explore when it comes to tuna.
“Looking at tuna as a whole, only 50% of it is put into the can and the remaining 50% is by-products. Our current products are only a small part of the fish—the head goes to our oil product, the skin goes to the collagen one, and tuna bone for calcium,” she told NutraIngredients at Vitafoods Asia 2026.
“There are many parts, such as the tails, gills and even blood, that we have not used yet and can be developed into something value-added. It’s in our pipeline. We are constantly doing R&D and product innovation, with the ultimate goal of using every part of tuna and realizing zero waste.”
Build, maintain, restore
Thai Union Ingredients’ three key products, ThalaCol, UniQ OMEGA Tuna Oil, and UniQ BONE, cater to skin health, brain health, and bone health respectively.
“What we want to highlight is that our products can be used for different stages of life—young people, mature adults, and ageing population, which corresponds to the concept of ‘build, maintain and restore’,” said Uabumrungjit.
ThalaCol is a branded high-purity hydrolyzed Type I marine collagen peptide ingredient manufactured by Thala, a commercial brand under Thai Union Ingredients. The peptides are purely derived from the skin of sustainably wild-caught tuna, and are targeted at skin, bone and hair health categories.
The omega-3 oils in UniQ OMEGA Tuna Oil are extracted exclusively from freshly caught wild tuna heads within Thai Union Ingredients’ own supply chain, offering greater traceability and lower oxidation.
Unlike blended fish oils, tuna omega-3 oil has a naturally high DHA-to-EPA ratio, making it suitable for premium nutrition formulations, particularly infant formula and brain health supplements.
UniQ BONE is a calcium-phosphorus complex, known as Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite (MCHC), with a 2:1 hydroxyapatite ratio. It is derived from the bones of wild-caught tuna, and is identical to the mineral structure in human bones and teeth.
The calcium tuna bone MCHC powder is gently processed, which helps preserve important bone matrix proteins, such as Type I collagen and glycosaminoglycans, along with naturally occurring trace minerals including magnesium, zinc, strontium, and silicon. It also contains bioactive peptides and growth factors that support natural bone remodelling.
MCHC is said to be absorbed more effectively than inorganic calcium sources, ensuring nutrients reach the bones where they are needed most, and is ideal for fortified products.
Application in finished products
While UniQ OMEGA Tuna Oil has been launched for about five years, ThalaCol and UniQ BONE are relatively new ingredients introduced in the past two years.
To date, UniQ OMEGA Tuna Oil and UniQ BONE have been applied in various finished products, including supplements and functional beverages under Thai brand ZEAVITA, and ThalaCol has been used in coffee capsules.
A top-selling brand in the country, ZEAVITA is primarily manufactured and distributed in Thailand, but it can be purchased internationally through global cross-border e-commerce platforms.
