G E L AT I N technical info

GELATIN technical info

Gelatin is far from a new ingredient. The first English patent for gelatin production was granted in England in 1754. Today, gelatin is classified as a foodstuff (no E-number) and is one of the most versatile food ingredients for commercial food manufacture. Gelatin is also free from additives and preservatives. Gelatin is a unique, natural and multifunctional ingredient that is easy to use. Gelatin is unique in its gel-sol behaviour as the gel it forms is 100 % thermo-reversible. In food applications, the gel melts completely in the mouth which results in unsurpassed, pleasant mouthfeel and flavour release. Texture and feeling in the mouth are, like taste, considered to be the delight factors in food products. Obtained from the collagen protein by hot water extraction, gelatin is a natural and easily digestible pure protein, free from fat, cholesterol and carbohydrates. It contains 18 different amino acids, including 7 of the 8 essential to the human diet. Gelatin complements many other food proteins to provide a balanced intake of amino acids. Gelatin is also known to have positive effects on our health. See our brochure Solugel Collagen hydrolysate is good for your health.

Amino acids in Gelatin

Valine* Tyrosine Threonine* Serine Proline Phenylalanine* Methionine* Lysine* Leucine* Isoleucine* Hydroxyproline Alanine Arginine Aspartic acid

Glutamic acid

Glycine Histidine Hydroxylysine

* Essential amino acid

Gelatin is a multifunctional ingredient which gives texture and stability to the finished product thanks to one or more of the following properties: gelation binding water binding emulsifying foaming film forming elasticity viscosity

This multifunctionality means that gelatin has become a highly valued ingredient in the food, pharmaceutical and photographic industries. Allergic reactions to gelatin are extremely rare (in contrast to most other food proteins), as gelatin resembles the human body's own proteins. As a result, it is used in medical applications such as pharmaceutical capsules and tablets, including those containing anti-allergy medicines, blood plasma expander, etc. Unlike other hydrocolloids, pH, cations or soluble solids have almost no influence on the gelation process, which makes gelatin a very easy-to-use and cost-efficient hydrocolloid. 1

There is an increasing demand from todays consumers for natural and healthy food which tastes good and has an appealing texture: gelatin is here, more than ever, the right choice. Because there is a wide variety of gelatins with different characteristics (gelstrength, viscosity, setting behaviour, ...), there is always a gelatin type that fulfils the requirements for a given application.

> How to dissolve gelatin?

A. Cold water swelling: Gelatin is swollen in cold water for a pre-determined time, depending on its particle size. The swollen particles are then added to a hot mass, a sugar/glucose mixture for example, in which the swollen particles immediately dissolve. Gelatins are most commonly supplied in a particle size ranging from 8 to 50 Mesh. PB Gelatins also supplies gelatins with extremely fine particle sizes. The Speed of swelling in 18C water mesh size of the gelatin is determined by the application and the equipment used for dissolving it. The coarser the particles, the longer it takes for them to become swollen (fig 1) and to dissolve completely. B. Hot water dissolving: This is a more popular method to prepare highly concentrated gelatin solutions. The gelatin solution can be obtained in a relatively short time, depending on the particle size and watertemperature. The finer the particle size, the higher the agitation systems dispersion capacity needs to be while avoiding excessive air entrapment.
Swelling (%)

fig 1

C. Dissolving by pasteurisation during processing: This procedure is particularly popular in the dairy industry. Fine mesh gelatin is dispersed in the milk, together with other ingredients. The swollen particles will completely dissolve during the subsequent heating stage. D. Cold soluble gelatins: see our technical brochure on Cryogel and Instagel.

> Gelatin types, gel strength and applications in food

There are two main gelatin types, referred to as A- (or acid) type and B- (or limed/alkaline) type. This categorisation essentially goes back to the pre-treatment of the raw material which will affect the characteristics of the gelatin extracted. Typical differences are the Iso-electrical point (as explained further in the brochure) as well as the viscosity in solution. Gel strength is expressed in (gram) Bloom. Commercial gelatins may vary from low Bloom (<150) medium Bloom (150 - 220) to high Bloom (> 220) types. In the food industry, gelatin is used in a wide variety of products. Confectionery: Gummy bears and similar sweets, marshmallows, fruit chews and toffees, but also as a binder in tablets and as a film-forming agent in coated articles. Dairy & desserts: Ice creams, yoghurts, ready-to-eat desserts, mousses, low fat spreads and, of course, the typical gelatin desserts or table jellies. Meat: Gelatin is most commonly used in aspics and savoury jellies, but also in canned products. Wines and juices: Low bloom as well as hydrolysate are used. 2

> Applications
Function Confectionery Gelatin gums gelling agent texture elasticity gelling agent texture elasticity aeration chewability aeration stabilisation gelling agent chewability gelling agent texture elasticity film forming binding 180-260 A/B low-high 6 - 10 % Bloom Type Viscosity Dosage (on CP)

Wine gums
(gelatin + starch)

100-150

A/B

low-medium

2-6%

Chewable sweets
(fruit chews, toffees)

100-150

A/B

medium-high

0.5 - 3 %

Marshmallows
(deposited or extruded)

200-260

A/B

mediumhigh

25%

Nougat Liquorice

100-150 100-220

A/B A/B

medium-high low-medium

0.2 1.5 % 38%

Coating
(chewing gum dragees)

120-150

A/B

medium-high

0.2 1 %

Dairy and Desserts Gelatin Dessert gelling agent texture prevents syneresis texture thickening gelling agent stabilisation texture aeration 180-260 A/B medium-high 1.5 3 %

Yoghurt

200-250

A/B

medium-high

0.2 1 %

Aerated desserts
(mousse types)

180-240

A/B

medium-high

0.3 - 2 %

A = A type gelatin B = B type gelatin CP = commercial product

Function Dairy and Desserts Puddings and Creams texture thickening / gelling agent texture stabilisation texture stabilisation thickening / gelling agent

Bloom

Type

Viscosity

Dosage (on CP)

200-240

A/B

medium-high

0.2 2 %

Soft and melted cheese Ice Creams

180-240

A/B

medium-high

0.1 0.3 %

100-200

A/B

low-medium

0.2 1.0 %

Icings Meat and Fish Hams Aspics

220-280

A/B

medium-high

0.5 1.0 %

meat binding gelling agent texture texture meat binding Covering Stabilisation Meat binding

200-250 150-280

A/B A/B

medium medium-high

Q.S. 3.5 18 %

Canned meat Corned beef Pies (pts)

250-280 250-280 180-250

A/B A/B A/B

medium-high medium-high medium-high

1.5 3 % 1.5 3 % 1.5 3 %

Frozen cooked meat Low fat spreads

200-240

A/B

medium-high

0.5 3 %

stabilisation of emulsion texture / feeling in the mouth Wine and Juice fining clarification

130-280

A/B

high

0.3 2.0 %

80-120

A/B

low-medium

5 15 g/hl

> Physico-chemical properties

1. Stability of gelatin solutions: Gelatin is sensitive to degradation as long as no gel has been formed. The possible degree of degradation will depend on several parameters such as pH, temperature, time and concentration (fig 2).
Degradation of 6.66% gelatin solution (influence of pH and time)

Gelstrength (%)

Time (hours)

fig 2

Gelatin is a slow setting agent (fig 3) since full gel strength is attained only after >15 hours.

Gelstrength (%)

2. Gel strength and gel melting point Gel strength, which is expressed in gram Bloom, ranges from 80 to 280 Bloom for commercial gelatins: 80 - 150 Bloom: low Bloom range 150 - 220 Bloom: medium Bloom range 220 - 280 Bloom: high Bloom range

Gelling curve of a 6.66% gelatin solution at 10C

Time (hours)

fig 3

There is no linear correlation between the gelatin dosage required to obtain a given strength in a finished product and a Bloom value applied (fig 4). A similar gel strength in finished product can, for example, be obtained by using a different dosage of a gelatin with a different Bloom value. Following dosages of gelatins will result in a similar final gel strength: 4.3% cc. 250 Bloom 5.6% cc. 150 Bloom 6.9% cc. 100 Bloom. The melting point of the gel is linked to the Bloom value (fig 5). Higher Bloom gelatins tend to have better temperature stability (even though a lower dosage is used to obtain a same final gelstrength). Gelatin gels have a thermo-reversible character with a setting point always roughly 5C lower than the melting point.

Gelstrength as function of Bloom and dosage

Correlation graph

Dosage (%)

Bloom value

fig 4 Melting point i.f.o. dosage of gelatin

Melting point (C)

gelatin dosage (% in water)

fig 5

 The final gel strength is, to a great extent, influenced by: a. The dosage and type of gelatin (fig 6) b. The temperature of the gel (fig 7) Unlike other hydrocolloids, gelatin is merely affected by pH, cations or soluble solids.
Gelstrength in function of dosage
Gelstrength (Bloom)
Bloom at 10C or 20C

Gelstrength i.f.o. temperature

dosage (% in water)

Gelatin Bloom-type

fig 6

fig 7

3. Viscosity of a gelatin solution The viscosity of a gelatin solution depends on: the type of gelatin: A -type <--> B -type (fig 8) the Bloom value: a higher Bloom tends to have a higher viscosity (fig 8) the dosage and temperature of gelatin in solution (fig 9).
Viscosity 6.66% versus Bloom-type
Viscosity (mPa.sec)

Viscosity of gelatin solution in function of dosage and temperature

15

Viscosity (mPa.sec)

10

0 20

30

Bloom
2

Temperature (C) Dosage (w/w) %

4 6 8 10

40

50

60

70

12

15

fig 8 Iso-electric point

A - type gelatins : pH 7-9, depending on Bloom B - type gelatins : pH 5.0 0.2

fig 9

4. Iso-electric point (IEP) The amphoteric character of gelatin is clearly explained in fig 10 and can be important when gelatin is combined with other hydrocolloids. For alkaline gelatins, the iso-electric point is almost constant and thus independent of the Bloom value: the IEP is between pH 4.8 and 5.2. The IEP of acid type gelatins is linked to the Bloom value and ranges from about 7 (low Bloom) to about 9 (high Bloom), which means that an acid type gelatin will always have a positive charge in a food system.

fig 10

> Looking for a hydrocolloid that ....

is natural? has no E.number? is not produced with genetically modified materials? is produced from traceable, natural raw materials? has not been chemically modified? non allergenic? contains 7 essential amino acids? melts completely in the mouth? creates a 100% thermoreversible gel? is a multifunctional ingredient? is cost effective? can be tailor-made? (particle size, gelstrenght, viscosity, ...)? is easy to use and apply? does not require pH-correction and/or the presence of salts and sugars? gives your product unsurpassed texture and mouthfeel?

PB Gelatins, division of TESSENDERLO GROUP

E-mail: info@pbgelatins.com websites: www.pbgelatins.com - www.gelatin.com

Edition 5 - 082009

You simply got it all with ... GELATIN!