You might have heard the age old debate about Gelatin and what it is made from, whether it’s vegan or vegetarian, halal or kosher, healthy or unhealthy, where it is found and what it is used for. We’re here to give an open analysis on what is Gelatin and whether or not we should be avoiding it. We found study papers and accounts on how it is made and opened up discussion for our vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous followers.
What is Gelatin?
Without sugar coating the answer, Gelatin is a protein made from animal products. The protein, which is jelly like, it made by boiling the bones, skin, tendons and ligaments of the bodies of dead animals (normally cow, chicken or pig skeletons left over from the meat and dairy industry) with water.
In short, it’s stewed up remains of animal corpses boiled into a jelly like substance which is then set and used in a variety of edible and medical products and cosmetics.
You can find an EU regulatory paper here on how the transportation of the raw materials required to make gelatin based products (as listed in the article: bones, hides and skins of farmed ruminant animals, pig skins, poultry skins, wild game hides and skins) must ensure that all bone material is finely crushed and degreased with hot water, washed and treated with dilute hydrochloric acid.
The paper also goes on to say ‘if it’s over a period of at least two days, the treatment must be followed by pH adjustment using acid or alkali followed by one or more rinses, filtration and extrusion.’
Moreover, ‘food business operators manufacturing highly refined products of animal origin such as chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, other hydrolyzed cartilage products, chitosan, glucosamine, rennet, isinglass and certain amino acids, must ensure the treatment of the raw material used eliminates any animal or public health risk.’
In other words, gelatin is a risky food, just like other animal based products, meat and dairy. There is a risk of food toxicity as that of uncooked meat, long transportation of the bones and skins of animals poses a risk of food poisoning from the bacteria that lives on the dead bodies of animals.
Not to mention the chemical washing treatments of the animal remains in the gelatin making process.
What’s the Difference between Gelatin and Collagen?
There has been a significant boom in collagen treatments and products over the last twenty years. Gelatin contains collagen, which is a material in the cartilage that cushions the bones in joints.
Their reason being that the collagen in gelatin gets broken down by the digestive system when it is eaten. It would therefore not travel directly to the joints.
What is Gelatin used in?
Gelatin is pretty much used in most of the following products:
- Mainstream candies, gummies and sweets such as Jelly Babies, Haribo, Gummy bears, Giant Strawberries, Drumstick lollies and Cola Bottles.
- Chewing gum is almost always made with gelatin and so are packet mints like Extra Strong and Trebor.
- Shampoos, moisturizers and face masks.
- Regular Marshmallows, cakes, ice creams and candy.
- Some medicines.
- Vaccinations often have a gelatin based solution. A study by H Kuno-Sakai, M Kimura in 1999 found that the gelatin in the vaccination was causing severe allergic reactions in patients and thus it was removed from the live vaccines in Japan.
- Many vitamins and supplements use animal based gelatin capsules.
- Not only is Gelatin found in edible and usable items on the body, it can also be found in some glues, candles and photographic film.
- Some wines also use gelatin in their ‘clearing process’.
Some well known products containing Gelatin
Here’s a list of gelatin containing products that may or may not surprise you.
*products usually contain gelatin unless labelled vegan*
Food and drink
Haribo (unless labeled vegan)
Fruit Pastels
Extra Strong Mints
Orbit/Trident/Extra/Wrigley’s (and most) Chewing Gum
Trebor Extra Strong Mints
Altoids
Frosted Mini Wheats Cereal
Gummy Bears
Trifle
Mentos
Jelly / Jell-O
Laffy Taffy
Jolly Rancher
Peanuts (some) – often roasted in a gelatin that is comprised of pig hoove
Coca-Cola’s Lilt, Lilt Zero, Kia-Ora Orange Squash, and Schweppes Orange Squash (often outside USA) can contain a beta-carotene coloring which is sometimes stabilized by fish gelatin. Not only is there a risk with these drinks that you will intake animal based gelatin, there may also be small traces of animal bone in the white sugar.
Starburst
Candy Corn
Runts
Rice Crispie Treats (marshmallow)
S’mores (marshmallow)
Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmallow Cereal (pork gelatin)
Smorz Cereal (pork gelatin)
Lucky Charms cereal (pork gelatin)
Most Cheesecakes
Desert Moose and some Yoghurts
Cosmetics
(source)
Etude Makeup (pork, beef and fish)
Cover Girl Makeup (pork and beef)
Avon products (some – pork)
Neutrogena (some – pork)
Oil of Olay skin care products are made with pork fat
The Body Shop (some – pork and beef)
TRESemme
Maybelline (fish)
Check the ingredients on all products if you are avoiding gelatin.
What am I looking for on an Ingredients List?
Gelatin can be disguised as something else, it is not often labelled in bold as meat and dairy ingredients are but examples of animal based gelatin labels are:
Gelatine (Bovine) – From a cow
Collagen Hydrolysate
Collagène Dénaturé
Collagène Hydrolysé
Collagène Marin Hydrolysé
Denatured Collagen
Gelatina
Gelatine
Gélatine
Gélatine Hydrolysée
Hydrolised Collagen
Hydrolysed Collagen
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Hydrolyzed Collagen Protein
Hydrolyzed Gelatin
Marine Collagen Hydrolysate
Protéine de Collagène Hydrolysé
Is Gelatin suitable for Vegans / Vegetarians and Halal / Kosher / Hindu traditions?
Gelatin is neither Vegan nor Vegetarian as it is made via the same process as the meat industry. An animal has to die in order for gelatin to be made.
It is for the same reason that gelatin is neither usually Kosher (meeting Hebrew dietary regulations) nor Halal (abiding to Muslim dietary regulations) as it is made of animal products forbidden under religious laws.
Members of the Hindu religion do not eat beef as they see the cow as a sacred animal. In 2017, members of the Hindu community in the US called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to mandate food companies to declare the source of gelatin on packaging.
A “K” or “Kosher” symbol should be present on the packet for those following Hebrew traditions, this means the manufacturing of the gelatin has been overseen by a rabbi. Kosher gelatin is normally fish based which is accepted on the Hebrew diet.
What are the side effects of Gelatin?
Web Md lists the following side effects that may occur after gelatin consumption:
Gelatin can cause an unpleasant taste, sensation of heaviness in the stomach, bloating, heartburn, and belching. Gelatin can cause allergic reactions.
According to Dr F.C Rite, gelatin capsules may become mixed with toxins from their source. This includes a long list of antibiotics, medications or pesticides in food given to the deceased animals. This can cause stomach cramping and hypersensitivity.
Where gelatin is used regularly as a protein supplement, excessive consumption can cause strain on the liver and kidneys. Those with previous kidney or liver problems should contact their doctor before taking any supplement and gelatin capsules is an additional reason to seek advice.
Furthermore, it has been found in a study by Minnie Bernardino that the protein from gelatin is an incomplete form that the body cannot use.
Gelatin and BSE
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), also known as ‘mad cow disease’, due to the effects it has on a cow’s brain. is a disease that can spread to humans. More cases were reported in the UK than the US, and the disease was being passed via food contaminated from an infected animal. By mid-June 2014, there had been over 200 reported BSE deaths worldwide.
Since 1992, the FDA (US) implemented regulations to ensure that no ingredients are used from countries where BSE is known or where unsatisfactory controls are in place. Despite these limitations, there is still a risk of BSE being passed through gelatin.
Are there any alternatives to Gelatin?
If you are looking to completely avoid all animal based gummies and candies, there is a vegan alternative to Gelatin named “agar agar”. Agar agar can be found in many vegan sweets and candies and it can be bought by itself as a thickening powder where gelatin would have normally been used. Agar Agar is made from a type of seaweed.
Giants of gelatin, Haribo, recently launched a Halal version of its gummies which were aimed at Muslim children. The Halal version of the sweets are gelatin-free.
If you are vegan or vegetarian, always look for the ‘Suitable for vegans and vegetarians’ label as some religious groups accept dairy and fish into their diets.
Somebody told me Gelatin is good for my joints and skin?
It has been documented that Gelatin is composed of amino acids ‘glycine’ and ‘proline’ that come from the bones, fibrous tissues and organs of animals. It is said that these amino acids are healthy skin, tissue and weight regulation in humans.
But with the sugar content of Gelatin that usually comes with gummy candies or mints or cakes, eating Gelatin for protein or amino acids is like eating a four cheese pizza for the calcium in the cheese.
The good thing about the amino acids found in gelatin is that they’re easily found in many healthy plants. Grand amounts of Proline can be found in cabbage, asparagus, bamboo shoots, seitan, mushrooms, soy protein, seaweed (spirulina), watercress, chives, jute, buckwheat, cucumber, horseradish, spinach, and broccoli. A high content of Glycine can be found away from animal based products too, including cucumbers, bananas, kale, spinach, cabbage, beans, kiwi and cauliflower.
It has also been known that Gelatin was being used for aging skin and joint pains. It has also been linked to treating osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, weak and brittle bones (osteoporosis), and brittle nails.
It is important to know that there is no good scientific evidence to support the use of gelatin in any medical practice, in fact there are studies that say the opposite, that it is in fact detrimental to health.
We can survive and thrive without animals products.
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