Bakery Products
Gelatin has many uses in bakery products because of its unique function. It is particularly useful in marshmallow, icing, glazes and cream fillings. It stabilizes the aqueous phase of such systems and helps to maintain a fine sugar crystal structure. Gelatin is also used in mousses, chiffons, cream fillings and whipped toppings because of its whipping and stabilizing properties.

Canned Hams
Gelatin acts to gel the juices exuded when canned hams are processed. It also assists in binding and shaping the meat in the can. The grade of gelatin used in canned hams shows some degree of variation among canners. Generally, a minimum strength gelatin is used.

Clarification of Wines and Juices
Gelatin has a tendency to form coacervates with other proteins and hydrocolloids. This property makes gelatin useful for precipitating materials that cause haze or cloudiness. Gelatin is used to clarify wines, beer, apple juice and vinegar.

Dairy Products
Gelatin is comparable to milk proteins and makes an excellent stabilizer for dairy products because of its gelling, water binding and protective colloid actions. Many contend that gelatin is without an equal for use in cultured dairy products. In sour cream and yogurt it helps provide a firm yet tender body. In addition, the protective colloid action of gelatin gives a smooth texture and is most effective in preventing synergistic or separation. Gelatin is often added to buttermilk in small amounts to prevent separation and give a smooth body.

Gelatin Dessert
Few desserts are as well liked as gelatin desserts. They are prepared by the addition of water to dry-blended powders consisting of a sweetener, gelatin, food acid, buffer salt, flavor and food coloring. Gelatin forms a sparkling clear jelly that does not synergize and has a crisp, clean refreshing mouth-feel. Gelatin is used at a level of about 1 1/2% to 3% in finished gelatin dessert. A high bloom gelatin of excellent clarity is preferred.

Jellied Meats
Gelatin is used to gel the fluids in jellied meats to bind the pieces of meat to form a mold. Gelatin is used in other jellied foods such as jellied consommé and aspic. Gelatin of high bloom strength and good clarity is indicated for these products.

Marshmallow
Marshmallow is an aerated confection containing sugars, water, gelatin and flavor. Depending on the type of marshmallow desired, the syrup is generally whipped to a weight of between 35 to 60 ounces per gallon. A good marshmallow gelatin should be high in bloom and viscosity. In addition, it should have good whipping qualities.

Industrial Applications
There are many non-food applications where gelatin has been found to have particular advantages. The microencapsulating process, described in the “Pharmaceutical Uses” section, has been used in specific applications such as the protection of carbonless copy paper. Here, the ability of gelatin to form a coacervate that can be hardened with an aldehyde is used. The encapsulated material is kept encased until the capsule is ruptured or dissolved and the internal phase released. The same property of coacervate formation with other macromolecular compounds has made gelatin useful in the processing of synthetic polymers and latexes. In the manufacture of these materials the reaction could continue until the whole mass has polymerized. Gelatin functions as a protective colloid to prevent the coagulation of the suspension and to control the size of the polymer particle. Some other applications of gelatin include hair care products, cosmetics, electroplating, and paper and textile sizing.

Photography
The first account of its use in photography is in the British Journal of Photography for September 1871, when Dr. Richard Leach Maddox suggested that the sensitizing chemicals could be coated on a glass plate in a gelatin rather than a collodion emulsion. The photography industry uses large quantities of gelatin in several applications. The gelatin used is primarily derived from crushed beef bone because of the inherent photographic properties of the raw material. Photographic grade gelatin is used in all of the layers of a photographic product including the silver halide crystal-containing emulsion layer, coating layer, sub-coating layer, anti-halogen layers and non-curl layer.

Cosmeceuticals
Gelatin has been used for many years in the cosmetics industry as “hydrolyzed animal protein” in shampoos, conditioners, lipsticks and fingernail formulas. Recently, additional uses for gelatin have been found as a collagen source in topical creams and other value added cosmetic products.

Nutraceuticals
The use of gelatin in the nutraceutical industry is widespread. Gelatin not only serves as an excipient, but also is an excellent and economical source of multiple amino acids. Gelatin is the foundation of many nutritional and arthritis/joint care formulas. It is also widely used for nutritional bars and protein drinks.

Nutritional Products
As stated before, gelatin is not a complete protein source because it is deficient in tryptophane, however the digestibility is excellent. Studies have shown that the consumption of 7 to 10 grams per day can significantly improve nail growth rate and strength and it also promotes hair growth. Gelatin has also been shown to benefit arthritis sufferers in a large portion of the cases.

Ordnance Gelatin
Gelatin is used extensively for the testing of ammunition to determine its effectiveness for hunting, as well as for military and crime stopping application. When gelatin is made into blocks according to established law enforcement procedures, it provides valuable information due to its ability to mimic flesh. High clarity gelatin is used so that the projectiles’ trajectory, penetration, fragmentation, etc. may be observed and photographed. On a lighter note, gelatin is also used to make paintballs for the growing paintball warriors.

Pharmaceutical
The pharmaceutical industry uses very large quantities of gelatin primarily for making hard and soft gel capsules. Dipping stainless steel pins into a gelatin solution that is distributed uniformly around the pin makes hard capsules. The gelatin is set with a blast of chilled air, then the moisture is removed from the pin, cap and body, then it is put together to make the closed empty capsules. Soft capsules are made from a solution of gelatin, plasticizer (such as glycerin) and water. Two gelatin ribbons are formed and go between dies. As they meet, each half is injecting with fill material as the paired halves are sealed to form capsules. The filled capsules are washed, dried, inspected and packed. A popular method of protecting pharmaceuticals from the environmental effects is accomplished through microencapsulating. Here the drug is encased in micro sized capsules that can be handled as a powder. In wound and burn healing, the various amino acids found in gelatin make it a well-suited raw material for pharmaceutical use. Other pharmaceutical application for gelatin include its use in tablets, emulsions, surgical sponges, ointments, salves, jellies, suppositories, plasma substitute for medicines, dietary/health supplements, syrups, etc. It is highly digestible and serves as a natural protective coating for medicines.