Gelatin

Gelatin is a pure protein derivative that contains no fat, carbohydrates, or cholesterol and is free of all preservatives. It is most widely known for its setting qualities as a thickening and emulsifying agent in culinary uses. However, gelatin is also useful in other food processing, pharmaceuticals, photography, paper production, and other fields.

Gelatin is produced from the partial hydrolysis of collagen found in mammals. It is produced from the connective tissues, bones, and skins of animals, most commonly cows and pigs. The animal tissues undergo a process which includes cleaning, roasting, treating with acid/alkali, and boiling before gelatin is ready to be extracted. Solid gelatin is separated from its liquid components and pressed into sheets. Depending on its final purpose, it is pulverized and mixed with flavorings, colorings, sweeteners, and other additives.

Here is the chemical structure of gelatin:



taken from: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Gelatin.html

The chemical structure of gelatin gives it its versatility. It is water-soluble and forms digestible gels and films that are strong and flexible. It is transparent and has no flavor/color.

The exact history of gelatin is not documented. As it is a byproduct of animal parts, it is likely that its discovery dates back hundreds of years. Up to the 19th century, gelatin production was arduous and time consuming. In the 1840s a salesman named Charles B. Knox started packaging sheets of gelatin and selling it door to door. Peter Cooper, who had made a fortune in the manufacture of glue (a similar process to that of gelatin) received the first patent for a gelatin dessert in 1845.

In 1897, Pearl B. Wait, a cough medicine manufacturer, developed a fruit-flavored gelatin. His wife named his product Jell-O. Wait sold the rights to the process to the Genesee Food Company, for $450. In 1902, after an aggressive advertising campaign in Ladies Home Journal magazine generated enormous interest. Today, 400 million packages of Jello-O are produced each year. Over a million packages are purchased or eaten each day.

Gelatin has also had a long presence in other fields. There is documentation of the use of gelatin in paper making as early as the 14th century. In the 1870s, gelatin became a substitute for wet collodion in photography. It was used to coat dry photographic plates, marking the beginning of modern photographic methods. Today, most shells of pharmaceutical capsules are made of gelatin. Glues, paper, cosmetics, soft drinks, and many other things also contain gelatin.