The use of gelatin in pharmaceutical products dates back to the 19th century. In our days, gelatin is used in two-piece capsules, soft gels, tablets, encapsulation, micro-encapsulation, and granulation.
What is Gelatin?
Gelatin is the product obtained by the partial hydrolisis of collagen derived animal skin and/or bones; there is not such thing as vegetable gelatin. There are two types of gelatin: Type A, made in an acid process; and Type B, made in an alkaline process.
Gelatin Applications
Gelatin is a very versatile product that can be used in a wide range of different applications in the food, pharmaceutical and photographic industries. Nowadays, PILSAC only manufactures food grade gelatin with a bloom between 150 and 270.
In the food industry, the gelatin used varies between 30 and 300 bloom and it is generally free of preservatives, colorants, and chemical additives. Gelatin is also considered as a healthy ingredient for any kind of products.
A very important characteristic of gelatin is its ability to melt in the mouth , and is widely used due to its clarity and soft flavor.
The following table shows gelatin different uses as a food ingredient and recommended use level and Bloom.
|
Product |
Usage Level |
Bloom |
|
Bakery |
1% - 2% |
225 - 250 |
|
Marshmallows |
1.7% - 2.5% |
225 - 275 |
|
Gummy Bears |
7% - 9% |
200 - 250 |
|
Gelatin Desserts |
7% - 9% |
175 - 275 |
|
Frozen Food |
.1% - .5% |
225 - 250 |
|
Dairy Products |
.2% - .5% |
150 - 250 |
|
Juices, wine, and beer |
.002% - .015% |
100 - 200 |
|
Meat Products |
1% - 5% |
175 - 275 |
|
The use of gelatin in pharmaceutical products dates back to the 19th century. In our days, gelatin is used in two-piece capsules, soft gels, tablets, encapsulation, micro-encapsulation, and granulation.
|
|
The use of gelatin in photographic emulsions dates back to 1870 and continues to be nowadays the best medium to produce photographic emulsions.
Type B alkaline processed gelatin is the one mainly used for photographic applications, and the main characteristics of this type of gelatin are the following:
|
Characteristic |
Value |
|
Viscosity, mp1 |
74 - 95 |
|
Absortion, 420nm1 |
0.0 - 0.158 |
|
Absortion, 650nm1 |
0.0 - 0.032 |
|
Loss of viscosity, %2 |
<5% |
|
pH 1 |
5.65 - 5.85 |
|
Moisture, % |
10.5 - 13.0 |
|
Gel strength, grams |
250 - 310 |
1 Measured at a concentration of gelatin of 6.16% and 40ºC.
2 Measured at a concentration of gelatin of 10.0% and 40ºC; gelatin held 24 hours at 37ºC.