The Superiority and Advantages of Gelatine
Gelatine is the only natural gelling protein of commercial importance. It also has the following two unique properties.
- It is capable of producing clear thermo-reversible gels when combined with water.
- In its gel form it melts at body temperature.
Due to these unique features there is often no satisfactory alternative or substitue for gelatine. The end product would not be available to the consumer without its gelatine content.
These and gelatine's other significant intrinsic properties allow it to be used in a variety of ways - not only as a product for human consumption, in various edible and food products but also in the demanding field of pharmaceuticals .
without gelatine, the pharmaceutical and vitamin industries would be unable to produce the modern day capsules which allow for the measured dosage and controlled release of medicines, drugs and vitamins.
Among gelatine's many attributes are its several key advantages over other hydrocolloids.
- It is a natural protein whose constituent amino acids are identical to those that occur naturally in the human body and allergen free. As such, it is generally accepted as a food in its own right.
- it is extraced from non-genetically modified materials.
- Alternative hydrocolloids only replace one attribute of gelatine. in some cases, such replacements have been highly chemically transformed from their original material and are not classed as foods. Their use is then regulated.
- Gelatine is not considered an additive, and can be used freely without limitation or qualification. Thus an 'E' number, as required by many countries on food labelling, is not necessary for gelatine.
- Gelatine combines all the following characteristics in a single product;
- Exemplary water binding characteristics
- Excellent foaming stability
- Thickening (Viscosity modification)
- Gelation
- Emulsifying properties
- Binding properties
- Elasticity
- Film forming properties
- Protein supplement
Such characteristics enable gelatine to be used in a wide range of applications and products found both in industry and in the home.
Gelatine continues to find new and unique uses.
It has been indispensable in photographic film and paper.
In this age of global electronic communications it is vital for printing papers and digital photographs.
Is it any wonder that gelatine - whether used in the food, pharmaceutical and photographic industries-has been described as the technologist's Swiss Army Knife'?
With gelatine's multiple advantages and superiority over other hydrocolloids, when technologists consider their options, the clear choice is gelatine - the natural choice.
Processing...
