FAQ's for Gelatin in general


What is gelatin?

Where do the raw materials to make gelatin come from?

How is gelatin used?

How is gelatin manufactured?

In what forms is gelatin available?

What is the shelf life of gelatin?

Is there a substitute for gelatin?

Is all gelatin the same?


What is gelatin?



Gelatin is a pure protein derived from natural sources such as the hides and bones of animals (cattle, pig, fish, and poultry). Gelatin is a nearly complete protein lacking only one essential amino acid ….tryptophan. It is free of fat, cholesterol and preservatives. Gelatin is considered GRAS, Generally Recognized As Safe, according the FDA.
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Where do the raw materials to make gelatin come from?



The raw materials used in the production of gelatin are from healthy animals only. This includes cattle bone, cattle hide and fresh or frozen pigskin. For North American production, these raw materials come mainly from USDA inspected facilities.
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How is gelatin used?

The largest use of gelatin is in the food industry, primarily in candies, desserts and dairy products. Gelatin has many physical characteristics that make it suitable for food applications. These characteristics are its melt-in-the-mouth feel, its ability to form thermo reversible gels, and its clarity and bland flavor.

Another use of gelatin is in the pharmaceutical industry for hard and soft capsule manufacture, health supplements and micro-encapsulation. Gelatin protects the active pharmaceutical ingredients from exposure to air, light and moisture.

Gelatin is also used in the manufacture of photographic products where it’s uniquely suited for the preparation of silver emulsions.

There are also a myriad of other applications that use gelatin such as millinery, industrial products, art supplies and scientific research.

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How is gelatin manufactured?



Gelatin is produced through a series of processing steps that include demineralization, hydrolysis, extraction, evaporation, purification, drying and blending. Depending on the raw materials used, processing can take anywhere from two weeks to two months.
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In what forms is gelatin available?



Gelatin is available in a granular, powder or leaf form. Leaf gelatin is mainly used in culinary applications.
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What is the shelf life of gelatin?



If gelatin is kept in its original container at a controlled temperature and ambient humidity, it can last indefinitely. However, many manufacturers set a shelf life of two to three years based on packaging degradation concerns.
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Is there a substitute for gelatin?



There is no product available which contains all of the unique properties of gelatin. Unlike other proteins such as soy, egg or milk, gelatin has a very low potential for allergic reaction. Furthermore, gelatin is also a relatively low cost product.
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Is all gelatin the same?



No. Gelatin is graded based on its gel strength. Gel strength or “Bloom” is a measure of the rigidity of the gelatin at standard conditions. “Bloom” is the gauge by which gelatin is priced; the higher the “Bloom”, the higher the price.
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