Understanding Gelatin And Diet Restrictions

 

Gelatin is a useful food ingredient and is in many products but if you have a food restriction it maybe problematic. Most food restrictions are either secular ethics based or religious law based. So a quick run down on navigating the great Gelatin Debate… to eat or not to eat that is the question?

  All Gelatin comes from an animal source. If you object to eating animals this means in general you will need to avoid any product containing Gelatin. There are some substitute plant based possibilities but regular forms of Gelatin will not be acceptable.

  For a very long time Gelatin was considered Kosher in the USA because of the manufacturing process but people became concerned that pork bones or skin might be used so now one must look for a certifying organization to know it is Kosher. Thus if you follow either a Kosher or Halah diet you will need to be careful about your Gelatin source or use one of the plant based substitutes. Some Gelatin brands use pork, so finding Gelatin that is certified Kosher means it will not contain pork or other non Kosher animals. Now if your on a Halal diet the Kosher Gelatin should be in theory acceptable as it avoids pork and both religions slaughter the livestock in a similar manner. Neither religion finds eating carrion permissible to my knowledge which is a concern in Islamic Halal diet.  However some may feel Jewish prayer is not the same as Muslim prayer and vice versa. Kosher dietary law is more restrictive than Halal with the exception of no alcohol in Halal diets, so Kosher folks probably won’t use Halal Gelatin. It can be difficult to find products that check everyone’s boxes. Halal labeled bovine Gelatins now exist. Even if the gelatin in a product is Kosher the product might not be Kosher. Gelatin made from fish can be mixed with dairy without violating Kosher rules, but Gelatin made from beef for example mixed with dairy would violate Kosher diet rules. Fish based Gelatin does not set up the same as beef based gelatin making it unsuitable for use in Yogurts or Ice Cream for example. Halal cooking also has some rules that are different than Kosher and a product deemed Kosher might not be Halal. In other words you need to do a little research when in doubt. Regardless of your reasoning concerning Gelatin and products with gelatins you should read product ingredients and look for information and certifications that tells you what sort of gelatin or substitute you are dealing with (non certified, Kosher fish, Kosher beef, Halal, and Vegan for example.)

Plant Based Substitutes

Agar agar, carrageenan, and various vegetable gums are used as plant based substitutes but often fall short.

Animal Based

If you are concerned about your Gelatin, contacting the certifying organization to ask about the Gelatin or product containing it is in is your best bet in understanding what you are cooking with. Every certification organization has its own standards, so understanding those standards is important so you can make informed decisions.

There are lots of different labels for both Kosher and Halal foods so you will need to start identifying these. Luckily we have the world wide internet now and it does make it easier.

One cool thing about exploring the Vegan, Kosher and Halal brands is new flavors. I found mulberry desert gelatin exists for example.