can collagen peptides cause weight gain?

Adding to what Emma and the Noah said—the collagen doesn’t cause weight gain, but the delivery system might!
If a brand wants us to manufacture collagen gummies or heavily flavored RTD (ready-to-drink) beverages, we often have to use cane sugar, syrups, or artificial flavorings to mask certain notes. Those added sugars and extra calories are what cause weight gain. If a brand wants a “clean label” product that won’t affect weight, I always advise them to stick to unflavored, easily dissolvable powder blends.

This is actually a very common question we get from our customers! We always use this as an educational marketing opportunity.
We position our pure hydrolyzed collagen as a keto-friendly and paleo-approved supplement. In fact, because protein is highly satiating, many of our customers report that taking a scoop in their morning coffee actually helps them feel full longer and reduces their mid-morning sugar cravings. It’s all about how you market the satiety benefits of the peptides.

The short answer is no. Pure collagen peptides are essentially just protein. From a macronutrient perspective, they contain zero carbohydrates, zero sugar, and zero fat. A standard 10-gram serving only contains about 35 to 40 calories. Unless your consumers are eating absurd amounts of it to the point of a massive caloric surplus, the pure raw material itself will absolutely not cause weight gain.