E441 - Gelatin

Characteristic

Gelatin is a substance (protein) that is produced by the hydrolysis of collagen from animal bones, skins, veins and cartilage. Used in cooking to gel various products. It is produced and stored in dry form in transparent tiles. E 441 is a transparent dense mass, colorless or yellowish, a brittle, almost tasteless substance extracted from the collagen of the connective tissue of animals.

It is used as an emulsifier in the production of food, pharmaceuticals, photography and cosmetics. It melts when heated and hardens when cooled again. Together with water it forms a semi-solid colloidal gel. Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. Plant substitutes for the substance are pectin and agar agar.

It can also be prepared at home. Boiling certain cartilaginous cuts of meat or bones will cause it to dissolve in water. Depending on the concentration, the resulting broth, when cooled, will naturally form a jelly or gel. Household gelatin is available in the form of leaves, granules or powder. Instant species can be added to food as they are; the others need to be pre-soaked in water.

4 sheets of gelatin = 1 sachet of granulated gelatin = 1 tablespoon of granulated gelatin

Recently, by-products from the fishing industry have begun to be considered a raw material for gelatin production, as they remove most of the religious barriers associated with its consumption. The raw materials are obtained by various curing processes, acids and alkalis, which are used to extract the dried collagen hydrolyzate. These processes can take up to several weeks. The differences have a great influence on the properties of the final gelatin products.

There are different types of additive E441 according to the animal origin used for its production. For example, Jewish kosher or Muslim halal customs may require it to be made of fish. Vegetarians usually avoid gelatin and use other emulsifiers, such as agar agar, carrageenan, pectin or cognac. There is no vegetable source of the additive E441. One of the oldest sources was that of antlers.

Although gelatin is 98-99% protein by dry weight, it has less nutritional value than many other sources of protein. It is unusually rich in the non-essential amino acids glycine and proline, that is, those produced by the human body, while lacking some essential amino acids - those that are not produced by the human body. It does not contain tryptophan and has an insufficient amount of the amino acids isoleucine, threonine and methionine. The approximate amino acid composition: 

glycine 21%, proline 12%, hydroxyproline 12%, glutamic acid 10%, alanine 9%, arginine 8%, aspartic acid 6%, lysine 4%, serine 4%, leucine 3%, valine 2%, phenylalanine 2%, threonine 2%, isoleucine 1%, hydroxylysine 1%, methionine and histidine.

These values ​​vary depending on the source of the raw material and the method of processing.

Use

Gelatin is most often used in the manufacture of jellies, creams, mousses, cakes, confectionery, canned food, some types of candy, trifles, aspic and others. Used as a stabilizer, thickener or to improve texture in foods such as ice cream, jams, yogurt, cream cheese and margarine; it is also used in low-fat foods to create volume without adding calories.

It is also used in making chewing gum, some fresh cheeses and cream products. It is used in pharmacology, in particular for capsule shells, to make them easy to swallow.

The additive E441 is used to clarify juices (apple juice) and vinegar. Fish gelatin is used as a clarifying agent for wine and beer. 

Hypromellose is a vegetarian counterpart to gelatin, but is more expensive to produce. Suitable substitutes with the stability and low cost of the E 441 additive have not yet been found.

Used as a carrier, coating or release agent, it makes beta-carotene water-soluble, thus imparting a yellow color to soft drinks containing beta-carotene.

E441 is used as a binder in match heads and sandpaper. Cosmetics use a non-gelling version of gelatin called "hydrolyzed collagen". The additive is used to smooth glossy print papers, playing cards and crepe paper creases.

Impact on humans

The supplement E 441 is not suitable for use by asthmatics and people who are allergic to sulfites. It is allowed for use in EU countries.

Gelatin promotes overall joint health. Research has found that supplements that contain it relieve pain and stiffness in the knee joint in athletes.