E428 - Gelatine

At a glance

• Role: gelling, thickening, stabilizing, foaming, film-forming, and clarifying agent
• Source: made by processing collagen from animal skin and bones
• Texture: forms elastic gels that melt pleasantly in the mouth
• Common in: gummies, marshmallows, jelly desserts, some dairy and meat products, and clarified juices and wines
• Not suitable for: vegetarians, vegans, and some religious diets
• Plant-based swaps include: agar, carrageenan, pectins, and xanthan gum

Why is Gelatine added to food?

Gelatine is used because it can create stable gels, thicken liquids, stabilize foams, and form flexible films that hold water and improve texture in many foods.¹ It also binds haze-forming compounds, which makes it useful for clarifying some beverages.²

What foods contain Gelatine?

You’ll often find gelatine in gummy candies, marshmallows, fruit snacks, jelly desserts, aspics, pâtés, and some low-fat dairy products like certain yogurts and desserts. It may appear in layered desserts, cheesecakes, and bakery glazes. In beverages, it can be used to clarify wine and some fruit juices as a fining agent.²

What can replace Gelatine?

Plant-based and microbial hydrocolloids can mimic some of gelatine’s jobs:

• Agar: sets firm, brittle gels that hold at room temperature
• Carrageenan: good for dairy gels and creamy textures
• Pectins: great for jams and fruit gels; needs sugar and acid
• Gellan gum: makes clear, firm or fluid gels depending on calcium
• Xanthan gum and guar gum: thicken and stabilize but do not gel on their own
• Locust bean gum or modified starch: help body and stability in desserts and sauces

Each behaves differently. For example, agar sets harder and at higher temperatures than gelatine, while pectin needs the right sugar and acid balance.

How is Gelatine made?

Gelatine is produced by partially breaking down collagen, the main structural protein in animal connective tissues such as skin and bones.³ Manufacturers treat the collagen with acid or alkali, extract it with hot water, then filter, concentrate, and dry it into sheets, granules, or powder.¹

Is Gelatine safe to eat?

In the United States, gelatine is affirmed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) when used in line with good manufacturing practice, according to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) maintained by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).³ In the European Union (EU), gelatine is an authorized food additive under the bloc’s food additive regulation framework.⁴

Does Gelatine have any benefits?

From a kitchen and manufacturing view, gelatine improves chewiness in candies, helps desserts set cleanly, stabilizes foams (like in marshmallows), and forms films that reduce weeping in toppings and glazes.¹ As a fining agent, it can make wine and juice brighter by binding haze proteins and excess tannin.²

Who should avoid Gelatine?

• Vegetarians and vegans, since gelatine is animal-derived
• People who keep religious dietary laws that restrict certain animal sources or specific processing
• Anyone with a known gelatine allergy or who has reacted to gelatine-containing products should seek medical advice; allergic reactions have been reported, though they are uncommon.¹

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Gelatine comes from hooves.” Fact: Gelatine is made by processing collagen from animal skin and bones; hooves are mostly keratin, not the collagen used for gelatine.⁵
• Myth: “All gelled desserts are vegetarian.” Fact: Many store-bought gels and gummies use gelatine; look for plant-based gelling agents like agar or pectins if you want vegetarian options.
• Myth: “It won’t be listed on the label.” Fact: U.S. labeling rules require ingredients to be declared by their common or usual name, such as “gelatin/gelatine” (and sometimes “fish gelatin” when used).⁶

Gelatine in branded foods

On labels, look for “gelatin” or “gelatine.” Some products specify the source (for example, “fish gelatin”), which can matter for dietary practices.⁶ Typical categories include gummies and fruit snacks, marshmallows, jelly cups, some yogurt and dairy desserts, aspics and pâtés, and clarified juices and wines. If you avoid gelatine, check for plant-based gelling agents like agar, carrageenan, or pectins.

References

Footnotes

1. Re-evaluation of gelatin as a food additive — EFSA Journal (European Food Safety Authority). https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2014.3920 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

2. 27 CFR 24.246 Materials authorized for the treatment of wine and juice — U.S. TTB eCFR. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-24/subpart-K/section-24.246 ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. 21 CFR 184.1386 Gelatin — U.S. FDA eCFR. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-184/subpart-B/section-184.1386 ↩ ↩²

4. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (Union list framework) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1333/oj ↩

5. Gelatin — NIH PubChem Compound Summary. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Gelatin ↩

6. 21 CFR 101.4 Food labeling; declaration of ingredients — U.S. FDA eCFR. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/section-101.4 ↩ ↩²