What is GELATINE?

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A Natural Food

Gelatine is a natural and healthy ingredient that is used for a large number of applications either in food, pharmaceutical or technical. The essential constituent of gelatine is protein, which can be found in bones and skins of various animals. Gelatine can be extracted from the bones and skins of Bovine Animals, Pig or Fish. The protein content in gelatine is between 85% and 88%, the remainder being mineral salts and moisture which is left after drying. Gelatine is produced by the partial hydrolysis of native collagen.

UNDERSTANDING THE VARIOUS SOURCES OF GELATINE

Beef Gelatine

Beef gelatine is a protein sourced from the collagen of bovine animals. It’s a great source of absorbable protein, derived from skin or demineralized bones. It contains a valuable mix of amino acids, and is low in calories, sugar, fat and carbs.

Fish Gelatine

Fish gelatine is a protein product extracted from collagen rich fish skin (or) scale material. Due to its low gelling and melting temperature and reduced gel strength, fish gelatine is less popular compared to beef gelatine.

Pork Gelatine

Pork gelatine is produced from bones and skins of pigs. Compared to pig bones, pig skins are a more popular source of raw material for pork gelatine.

Plant Based Gelatine

While traditional gelatine is derived from animal collagen, unflavoured vegetarian gelatine substitutes mainly come from vegetable gums and seaweed extracts.

Halal Sources

Not All Bovine & Fish Gelatines Are Halal & Kosher, So It’s Important To Look For Those That Are Certified By Recognized Religious Bodies!

Nutritional Value

Gelatine is a totally digestible protein of low calorific value (17 kJ/g or 4 kcal/g). It is composed of more than 85% protein, less than 13 % water and less than 2% minerals. It is fully digestible and contains 18 different amino acids, including 8 out of the 9 essential amino acids, the exception being tryptophan. It is particularly rich in glycine, proline and hydroxyproline, which together represent almost 50% of the composition of the molecule and give gelatine its unique properties. Hydroxyproline is an amino acid specific to gelatine and collagen.