Gelatin may appear to be an inert and innocuous synthetic substance, but it’s actually remarkably disgusting once you learn how it’s made. Most gelatin is sourced from the skins, connective tissues, and bones of cattle and pigs. Here is a remarkable two-minute video showing gelatin’s production process in reverse:
About Food: How Sweets Are Made from Eén on Vimeo
Apart from the nasty way it’s produced, gelatin is also a remarkably poor source of nutrients, as it contains only trace amounts of minerals and lacks several essential amino acids.
Which Foods Contain Gelatin?
Despite its revolting production methods and a texture that bears no resemblance to actual food, people eat the stuff. It’s the primary ingredient in those garishly colored Jello-brand gelatin desserts and gummy bear style candies. Most marshmallow brands also contain gelatin.
A growing number of consumers want nothing to do with gelatin. So companies have responded by introducing these excellent vegan alternatives to gelatin-based products:
- Annie’s: Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks
- Dandies: Vegan Marshmallows (Nearly all other marshmallow brands contain gelatin)
- Deva Vegan Vitamins: Come in Gelatin-Free Capsules
- Simply Delish: Natural Jel Dessert (Available in 6 fruit flavors and unflavored)
- Sweet Yourself: Vegan Sour Gummies
- Trader Joe’s: Natural Gel Cups and Scandinavian Swimmers Gummy Candy
- Yupik: Vegan Organic Gummy Bears
Gelatin Capsules
Vitamin and medicine capsules are usually made of gelatin, but vegan capsules are widely available. Luckily, enough people want to avoid gelatin that premium supplements often come in vegan capsules, and say so on the packaging. Vegan capsules are typically made from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), or pullulan (which is derived from tapioca).
By contrast, the capsules used for nearly all over-the-counter and prescription medication are made from gelatin. A compounding pharmacy can dispense your medication in vegan capsules upon request.
Since much gelatin is sourced from pork, people following kosher or halal diets have undoubtedly increased the availability of vegan capsules by driving up demand.
It’s Time for Gelatin to Go
The only reason gelatin remains in widespread use is lack of strong demand for alternatives. Surely, few mothers would be OK with their children eating gelatin if only they knew how it’s produced. With that in mind, It’s long past time for food and drug companies to stop using gelatin in their products, especially since cheap and excellent alternatives are readily available. I don’t eat meat, but I acknowledge that you can make a case for eating it that includes some fair points. But you can’t make any sort of reasonable case for consuming gelatin. It’s quivering, vile, and wholly unnecessary. So, when you see gelatin on a product’s ingredient list, why not contact the company and ask they switch to an alternative?
Gelatin is just one of many animal-derived substances that vegans need to watch out for. See my animal ingredients page for the others.
