Conserving the environment, saving human lives and improving the quality of life – these are the core goals of the European Gelatine Association. The member companies see it as their particular duty to protect nature and the environment in the long term with the natural product gelatine.

The Market of the Future, Environment, Nature and Human Life

In many respects asbestos is an invisible and still unpredictable danger. If handled incorrectly the contamination of the air breathed in can rise to several million carcinogenic fibres per cubic metre of air. When buildings contaminated by asbestos are being renovated, the contaminated parts are sprayed with a gelatine solution. This creates an elastic network. The asbestos fibres are not released when removed.

The advantage of using gelatine as a binding agent is that the bound asbestos mixture can be mixed with cement in a subsequent process. The resultant block is so hard that the asbestos fibres remain permanently bound and can be disposed of in landfill.

In the near future, gelatine could be of great help in a tanker accident where thousands of litres of oil pollute the sea. Why? The basic principle is simple: oil and water don’t mix. By adding an emulsifier, such as surfactants, we obtain a suspension of oil in water. As a result, little drops of oil are formed that float in the water. The cold, aqueous phase is transformed into the jelly phase by the addition of the aggregate gelatine.

This results in systems that are stable, capable of being cut and subsequently stored for a longer period of time. In the event of an oil tanker accident, any oil spillage could be solidified and cut into pieces, hence warding off an environmental disaster.

So far, all of this has only been tested in closed systems. Forming such a reversible, solid gel would be much more difficult on the high seas. But modern research into gelatine is working on this problem too.

The implantation of stem cells in the human body is a great opportunity to remove the causes of disease and to restore health. To breed stem cells, however, they always need a surface to which they can adhere.

Frequently, latex, polystyrene and even glass particles are used for this. The stem cells are thus implanted together with the substrate. As these materials are not biodegradable there may be undesirable side effects.

Gelatine can also be used as an important aid in the development of stem cell therapy. It is especially well suited to it thanks to its excellent compatibility and complete degradability in the body. This new method with gelatine is considered to be major progress for stem cell therapy. There have already been initial successes in treating Parkinson’s patients.

Market of the Future Functional Foods

What does the consumer of today consider to be important when choosing foods? Taste, quick and easy preparation, naturalness and the freshness of the product as well as the purchase price decide whether a food ends up in the shopping basket or not. Health aspects also play an increasingly large role. Functional food products are therefore on the up. In addition to the usual nutritional content, these foods have an additional benefit and ensure that the body receives an optimum supply of vitamins, proteins or carbohydrates, for example. Key health focuses include energy, bones and joints, intestinal relief and relaxation.

New and innovative functional food products can be created with gelatine. Foods with gelatine, whether sweet or savoury, are an ideal source of protein. They contain the amino acids glycine and proline in high concentrations, and thus have a positive influence on bones and joints.

Gelatine is also free of fat and carbohydrates. And more besides: gelatine strengthens the connective tissue, ensuring shiny hair and strong finger nails. It also improves the hydration of the skin and helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Functional foods with gelatine are thus a great opportunity for consumers to make their diet healthier.

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