Gelatine

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Collagen building after exercise²

  In eight healthy men, 15 g of gelatin before skipping rope doubled a blood sign of collagen building.

• Open question

  Growth hormone release³

  In women, eating gelatine raised growth hormone more than soy, milk or alpha-lactalbumin did.

• Concern

  Allergic reactions to vaccines⁶

  Some children who reacted badly to vaccines also reacted to gelatin in foods.

• No harm found

  Weight maintenance after dieting⁷

  Gelatine added to a milk protein diet did not help people keep weight off after losing it.

Animal and lab studies only

• Open question

  Cell effects in lab¹²

  In lab studies, gelatine and its broken-down pieces may have effects on cells, but this is still being studied.

Allergies and intolerances

These are about people with an allergy, an intolerance or coeliac disease. The signal is about the ingredient itself, and these are about the person eating it, so the signal does not count them.

• Red meat allergy⁵

  Some people allergic to red meat also react to gelatine, and scientists think a tick bite may be involved.

How it’s made and used

• Collagen in the blood⁴

  After people ate gelatine, collagen pieces from it showed up in their blood within a couple of hours.

• Gel quality from fish⁸

  Gelatine from fish skins can set and melt at different temperatures than gelatine from pigs or cows.

• Food texture and stability⁹

  Gelatine helps foods hold water, stay firm and keep their shape, and is used in meats, dairy, sweets and drinks.

• Food source labelling¹⁰

  Gelatine in food can come from pork, beef or fish, and labels often do not say which.

• Gel strength in foods¹¹

  Fish gelatine gels are weaker than animal gelatine, so scientists change it to make them stronger.

• Halal food checks¹³

  A DNA test can spot pig gelatine in gelatine powders and food products, even when mixed with cow gelatine.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.