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What is gelatine made from?
It is what makes jelly sweets chewy and bouncy, but not everyone knows where it comes from. Here is what gelatine is made of, and why it matters when you choose sweets.
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Gelatine is the ingredient that gives jelly sweets their bounce and chew. It is in most gummy sweets, in marshmallows and in jelly. But because it comes from animals, it matters a great deal to vegetarians, vegans, and many Muslims and Jews.
What gelatine is
Gelatine is a clear, colourless, almost tasteless ingredient made from collagen, a protein found in animals. The collagen is broken down, by a process called hydrolysis, into smaller pieces, and the result is gelatine. Dry, it is brittle. When it is mixed with hot water and cooled, it sets into a gel, and it can absorb five to ten times its own weight in water. It melts just below body temperature, which is part of why gelatine sweets feel the way they do in your mouth.
Where it comes from
Gelatine is a by product of the meat and leather industries. Most of it is made from pork skin, pork and cattle bones, or split cattle hides. Some is made from fish. The raw materials are treated with acids or alkalis over several weeks to extract the collagen and turn it into gelatine. In 2019 the world used about 620,000 tonnes of it.
Gelatine in sweets
Gelatine is found in most gummy sweets and marshmallows, as well as in jelly, ice cream and yogurts. Gummy bears, jelly babies, cola bottles and many chews rely on it for their texture. Haribo's standard Goldbears, for example, are made with pork gelatine: see is Haribo made from pig?
Religious diets
Because so much gelatine comes from pigs, it is an important question for many Muslims and Jews. Halal and kosher customs generally require gelatine from other sources, such as cattle slaughtered according to religious rules, or fish. Religious opinion is not uniform: some Islamic scholars have argued that the chemical processing transforms gelatine enough to make it halal, while most Orthodox Jewish authorities treat gelatine from non kosher animals as not kosher. People follow the guidance of their own tradition.
Gelatine free sweets
Sweets can be made without gelatine, using plant based gelling agents such as pectin, which comes from fruit, or starch. These can be suitable for vegetarians and vegans. We sell halal golden bears and vegan gummy bears in our pick and mix, and every sweet on our site has its own ingredients and allergens panel. See what sweets are gelatine free? and what is pectin?
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For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
Free to cite, quote, and reuse with attribution to sweeties.net.
Questions and answers
What is gelatine made from?
From collagen, a protein taken from the skin, bones and connective tissue of animals. Most gelatine comes from pork skin, pork and cattle bones or cattle hides, and some is made from fish.
Is gelatine vegetarian?
No. Gelatine is made from animals, so sweets that contain it are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. Sweets made with plant gelling agents such as pectin or starch can be.
Can Muslims and Jews eat gelatine?
Many Muslims and Jews avoid gelatine from pigs. Halal and kosher customs generally require gelatine from other sources, such as cattle slaughtered under religious rules, or fish. Opinions differ among religious scholars, so people follow their own tradition.
Sources
Keep reading
- Questions people askWhat sweets have pork gelatine?Many gummy sweets use gelatine, and it can be pork. Standard Haribo Goldbears use pork gelatine, and Mondelez says its gelatine may be beef or pork.
- Questions people askWhat sweets are gelatine free?Boiled sweets, rock and sherbet rarely need gelatine, and some chewy sweets have dropped it, from Fruit Pastilles to Percy Pigs. How to check.
- Questions people askIs Haribo made from pig?Standard Haribo Goldbears are made with pork gelatine, so they are not vegetarian, halal or kosher. Haribo makes halal and kosher versions.
- Questions people askWhat is pectin?Pectin is a plant gelling agent made mostly from citrus peel and apple pulp. It sets jam and many vegan jelly sweets. How it is made, and is it safe?
- Questions people askWhat sweets are halal in the UK?Look for halal certification. Sweets with pork gelatine are not halal, and some brands' gelatine may be pork. Also check for carmine and alcohol.
- Questions people askWhy is chewing gum so hard to get off pavements?Gum bonds to pavements and shoe soles because they are made of similar polymers. Removing it needs steam and scrapers, and costs cities a fortune.