The date of the discovery of gelatin remains obscure, but is probably related to the discovery that boiling pieces of skin and bone from animals killed for food produced a substance that was liquid when hot, and solidified when cooled.

The earliest commercial production of gelatin appears to have been in Holland around 1685, followed shortly thereafter in England about 1700. The first commercial production of gelatin in the United States was in Massachusetts in 1808.

In the National Formulary gelatin, CAS# 9000-70-8, is defined as a product obtained by the partial hydrolysis of collagen derived from the skin, white connective tissue and bones of animals. Gelatin does not occur free in nature, and cannot be recovered from horns, hoofs and other non-collagen containing parts of vertebrate animals. There are no plant sources of gelatin, and there is no chemical relationship between gelatin and other materials referred to as vegetable gelatin, such as seaweed extracts.

Gelatin derived from an acid-treated precursor is known as Type A, and gelatin derived from an alkali-treated precursor is known as Type B. Gelatin is a protein and in aqueous solutions is a hydrophilic colloid.

Today, the seven member companies of the Gelatin Manufacturers Institute of America annually produce a combined total of over 110 million pounds of gelatin. Gelatin is an important material, finding application in the food, pharmaceutical and photographic industries as well as diverse technical uses.