The facts

One of the consequences of the BSE crisis - and the anti-beef bandwagon that followed - was the aggressive marketing of a range of hydrocolloids which claimed to replace gelatin in food manufacture.

These were largely products that had failed to gain acceptance as credible gelatin replacers - and their disadvantages are evident in the table overleaf.

Despite the fact that the safety of gelatin has been recognized and confirmed by international experts in respect of BSE, the advocates of these ‘replacers’ still allude to concern over gelatin safety as well as the need to cater for special diets.

Admittedly, gelatin is unsuitable for the vegetarian minority who number around seven per cent of the population - and alternatives are available for religious or ethnic diets. However, for the manufacture of products consumed by the majority in this country, gelatin offers unrivaled benefits.

Gelatin is a highly versatile ingredient with a healthy, and well accepted nutritional profile. With the media and consumer spotlight now on genetically modified foods, its credentials are beyond reproach.

THE CASE FOR GELATIN

Cost Effective

• A little gelatin goes a long way
• It can be used to bulk more expensive ingredients
• Highly competitive price

Multi Functional

• Gelling
• Thickening
• Water-binding
• Emulsifying
• Stabilizing
• Foaming
• Film forming
• Fining

Healthy

• A pure, natural protein
• A food with no additives or E numbers
• Easily digestible
• Low in calories
• Contains no cholesterol or purines
  
  
  

GELATIN		GELATIN REPLACERS
Gelatin is multi-functional: gelling, thickening, water-binding, emulsifying, foaming, film forming...		No other single hydrocolloid offers the same combination of functionalities.
Gelatin forms a thermoreversible gel which melts at around body temperature resulting in excellent texture and intensive flavor and aroma release.		Other hydrocolloids do not have this property.
Gelatin is available in different gel strengths and particle sizes and can be tailor made for specific applications.		Generally, other hydrocolloids do not cover a range of gel strengths - modification of jelly strength is therefore achieved by blending with other ingredients such as sugars and salts.
Particle size can be adapted to production needs to achieve easy solubility.		Solubility can only be achieved by blending with other ingredients and/or at a higher temperature or by applying shear force.
Gelatin is fully and easily digestible.		Some hydrocolloids prevent the uptake of trace elements.
Gelatin is easy to use - it gels within the normal pH range of most foods and does not require the addition of salts or sugars to set.		Often the addition of salts, food acids or sugars are necessary to form a gel.

GELATIN		STARCHES & MODIFIED STARCHES
Gelatin is a food.		Modified starches have E numbers
Texture and clarity are natural properties of gelatin.		Starches and modified starches do not create comparable texture and clarity
Gelatin’s properties arise naturally.		Starch has to be modified to obtain some of the properties of gelatin
Gelatin requires no chemical modification.		Modifications are done chemically
Gelatin can be declared free of genetic modifications.		Starches can be obtained from genetically modified plants
There is long standing knowledge of gelatin and its metabolism is well known.		The metabolism of chemically modified starches is not so well known.
Gelatin has no limit of intake.		Modified starches have an ADI which indicates there is a limit for ingestion.
Gelatin can be consumed daily without health concerns.		The effect on health of the daily consumption of modified hydrocolloids is unknown.