How Gelatin became the part of our food?
Gelatin is a well known item for
many food items which are very popular in the market. It is basically a
wholesome protein which is obtained from the skin and bones of mammals. The
basic purpose of gelatin is to provide an elastic gel to the food products.
When it melts inside the mouth, an excellent flavor is released which attracts
the youngsters and children.
Gelatin is mainly used in
sticking the product together so it is largely used in ice cream, desserts, lollipops,
sweets and many other those items which are the most favorite ones for the
children. It is also used in marshmallow products, preparation of canned meats,
gelled confectionery, and jelly babies also. Some types of gelatin are being
used in fighting some major diseases as well in which arthritis and
osteoporosis are included.
It is also mentioned in the
introduction that gelatin is not only obtained from animals but can also from
vegetables as well. The only deficiency of this type of gelatin is that there
is a lack of gel in the products which are prepared through it.
When we study the history of
gelatin, we will find the word gelare which is a Latin word and has been used
for thousands of years. It had been used in the history as glue and many great
writers and poets like Shakespeare used this word. The latest history consists
of 150 years when we talk about gelatin and now the quantity which is being
used in different industries has been reached to around 220,000 tons in a year.
Food industry is taking 60% of this gelatin out of the total quantity described
before.
The production and processing of
gelatin is a long process in which the de-mineralization of bones, skin or
vegetables is the basic process. Diluted hydrochloric acid is being used for solubalization
of calcium carbonate and phosphate. After that, the material is converted into
gelatin with the help of hot water. Gelatin process is very popular in the
whole world and businessmen are attracting towards its processing because the
daily needs are increasing on a regular base.
The only concern which can be
faced by the manufacturers of gelatin is the religious considerations of
Muslims and Jews where Halal and Kosher food are necessary. When we consider
Muslims only, they prefer halal items for eating. As described earlier, gelatin
is taken from meat which is normally taken from pork or if taken from other
animals, the issue is the non-Islamic way of slaughtering. Due to this
particular scenario, they prefer only halal gelatin which is taken from vegetables or from sea food. To make it more
useful and popular, the manufacturers are now planning to produce both types of
gelatin which are normal gelatin and halal
gelatin.
Although, halal gelatin was not popular among the Muslims when we go some years
back, but with the passage of time, the awareness has been increased. Halal gelatin is popular in Iran,
Malaysia, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates and many other Muslim countries and
promoters are hopeful that they will be found in almost all other countries as
well.
For more info please visit at http://www.halalgelatin.org
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