What is pork gelatine and why is it in my kids sweets?

Why do we need pork gelatine in sweets?
What is its purpose?
Can it be replaced with a non-animal product?

The sweets are Bonds fizzy sour dummies (a bit like haribos).

Thanks,
Simon

Why do we need pork gelatine in sweets?
What is its purpose?
Can it be replaced with a non-animal product?

The sweets are Bons fizzy sour dummies (a bit like haribos).

Thanks,
Simon

It is an excellent gelling agent and used in a range of foods. From experience it gives an exceptionally good texture in yogurts (Muller use gelatine in their yogurts).
Vegetarian alternatives Agar Agar (E406) & Carrageenan (E407). But be aware degraded Carrageenan is supposedly carcinogenic and so requires care to be taken when used to prevent any degradation.
Why would you want to replace it anyway ?

It just doesn't feel right having pork stuff in sweets. What is gelatine though?

Hi Simon

You could also buy kosher sweets... then you're sure that there is no pork gelatine in the sweets.
However gelatine can also be made from the bones of a cow....

Anne

There are lots of gelling agents but they all give different mouthfeel. There's no satisfactory substitute if you want the same texture. You can get gelatine from other meat sources but all sources are meat skin, bone or both (however, I found chicken geletine tasted too chickeny!)

Dear Simon, GMO et al,

Bonds fizzy sour dummies

Sounds more like a joke baby product.

Now I am regarding my favorite yogurt in a whole new light.

At least it's not melamine.

Rgds / Charles.C

It just doesn't feel right having pork stuff in sweets. What is gelatine though?

Simon's concern is just one of many from consumers. Due to religion issues, some avoid gelatine originated from pork/fish, while others avoid animal origin due to vegan or worrying consumers on BSE issue.

Gelatine's like a soup mixture of protein/collegen from boiling animal bones/skin. Like Tony and GMO's reply, they provide good texture for confectionery products but are rarely well substituted by other hydrocolloids/modified starches...

I believe the big players have gelatine-free products to cater for majority of the consumers while it might be more cost-effective and traditional for smaller companies to use gelatine.

I believe the big players have gelatine-free products to cater for majority of the consumers while it might be more cost-effective and traditional for smaller companies to use gelatine.

Müller made a net turnover of €2.1 billion in 2006 and has 5,400 employees.

Müller made a net turnover of €2.1 billion in 2006 and has 5,400 employees.

opps. Pardon the ignorance... Should have done a search on Muller before making that comment.

Thanks for all of your input.

Gelatine's like a soup mixture of protein/collegen from boiling animal bones/skin.

Puts me off even more. I think an effective and similar cost alternative would be a winner.

Thanks for all of your input.
Puts me off even more. I think an effective and similar cost alternative would be a winner.

That the problem finding something as effective that is even close - At lot of hard work from the development department

Eureka moments are very rare, no doubt developing such a product is not easy or it would have been done already...a multi billion $ patented product takes a huge amount of time and effort, but is worth it. Speaking as a consumer I would go out of my way to purchase products without gelatine - even though I eat meat...and not for religious reasons.

It is worth noting that gelatine isn't a new product, nor is it an unusual product. It has been used for generations and generations without too much of a problem. I know my parent's and grandparent's generation wouldn't think twice about making a homemade Jelly with gelatine in it.

While I fully understand and agree with the need to label it as 'pork gelatine' I think it is a shame as no-one would think twice about a simple 'gelatine' declaration.

Simon, I can assure you that resources are being thrown at trying to find a replacement. The person/company who devises a fully functional, declaration friendly alternative to gelatine will be a very rich person/company indeed!

Thanks Matthew.

While I fully understand and agree with the need to label it as 'pork gelatine' I think it is a shame as no-one would think twice about a simple 'gelatine' declaration.

I think the change to pork gelatine labelling came about during the BSE crisis when people became hysterical about anything that had beef in it.

Regards,

Tony

Simon, I can assure you that resources are being thrown at trying to find a replacement.

Somewhat This should certainly also encourage the pig community. Win/Win

Rgds / Charles.C

Exactly Simon - why put pork gelatin in sweet products when there are plenty of vegetarian substitutes which could be used?

I've just bought a White Chocolate Dairy Dessert which has pork gelatin in and an After Eight Mint Flavoured Dessert, which has beef gelatin in the ingredients.

This is totally unnecessary and unfortunately, I read the ingredients after I'd eaten the product, otherwise I would never have bought them.

We eat far to much rubbish - sugar, salt, palm oil, saturated fats etc. and I'll tell you why - because they are cheap.  Chocolate, crisps, cakes, candies - manufacturers can't get us to eat them quick enough, so put the price down.

 

If you look at the special offers on in our supermarkets - Tesco, Sainsbury's, ASDA, Morrisons - the cheap stuff is the nasty stuff they know people will buy to keep their children happy - sweeties, biscuits, chocolate.

 

There should be a ban on all this rubbish food - this might help the obesity problem we have in the UK and make people healthier.  Put the price of fruit and veg down and we're half way to becoming a fitter country!

That is one reason I stay away from most batched yogurt.

 

I don't like Muller's yogurt and if you read labels you probably shouldn't either. 

 

Typically I like to eat traditional greek (strained) yogurts (ones with fruit are alright) like Alpina or YoCrunch.  Some of the things they add to batched yogurts are pretty bad for you which is why the nutritionals are so bad (fat/calories).

 

Particularly if you are into yogurt I would recommend Alpina's plain yogurt (no fruit) and YoCrunch's Strawberry (regular or lite) and Black Cherry.  The Black Cherry is just OMG delicious but the Strawberry Lite (even with Granola) is under 150 calories.

 

None of that directly referenced Simon's original post :oops2:  :off_topic:  but was more in reference to Muller and what they put into their yogurt.  If anyone wants an education on Yogurt I'll be happy to provide some insight in another thread.

Another odd ingredient used in sweets is shellac which is a resin secreted from the female lac bug. Most hard-coated, shiny candy contains a shellac coating or glaze.

Okay....so candy is ruined....no discussions on chocolate  :excl:

If only you knew what was in chocolate, especially easter chocolates.

This is one major area in the food industry that can blind side us but will be in the fore front of consumers' minds. We here in the States begining to be hammered with it. From the caramel coloring statue in California, Red4- FD&C in instant mac'n cheese, diacetyl butter flavoring and demand for GMO free foods.

 

 

 

We're all scrambling to meet GSFI schemes and regulatory requirements; I feel we're very ill equipped to deal with this. There are some consumer advocates groups that litigation happy, not to improve product but to gain monetarily.

If only you knew what was in chocolate, especially easter chocolates.

 

Nooooooo........... :crybaby:

If only you knew what was in chocolate, especially easter chocolates.

 

 

I'd hazard a guess at Salmonella! :silly:

'Matthew', on 28 Sept 2010 - 08:40 AM, said:

While I fully understand and agree with the need to label it as 'pork gelatine' I think it is a shame as no-one would think twice about a simple 'gelatine' declaration.

I think the change to pork gelatine labelling came about during the BSE crisis when people became hysterical about anything that had beef in it.

Regards,

Tony

 

Hey remember that episode of Man Men where the one chick is like

"Just rename horse meat to some thing like pork of beef"

Dogs eat gross stuff.