OSSEIN/GELATIN
Gelatin is a pure colorless water-soluble glutinous protein derived from natural sources such as the hides and bones of animals (cattle, pig, fish, and poultry). Gelatin is a nearly complete protein lacking only one essential amino acid-tryptophan. It is free of fat, cholesterol and preservatives. Gelatin is considered GRAS, Generally Recognized as Safe, according the FDA. Ossein is the organic matter of animal bones that are rich in collagen. Generally hydrochloric acid is used in extracting ossein from bones and ossein is used for the production of gelatin. The largest use of gelatin is in the food industry, primarily in candies, desserts and dairy products. Gelatin has many physical characteristics that make it suitable for food applications. These characteristics are its melt-in-the-mouth feel, its ability to form thermo reversible gels, and its clarity and bland flavor. Another use of gelatin is in the pharmaceutical industry for hard and soft capsule manufacture, health supplements and micro-encapsulation. Gelatin protects the active pharmaceutical ingredients from exposure to air, light and moisture. Gelatin is also used in the manufacture of photographic products where it’s uniquely suited for the preparation of silver emulsions. There are also a myriad of other applications that use gelatin such as millinery, industrial products, art supplies and scientific research. Gelatin is available in a granular, powder or leaf form. Leaf gelatin is mainly used in culinary applications. Gelatin is produced through a series of processing steps that include demineralization, hydrolysis, extraction, evaporation, purification, drying and blending. Depending on the raw materials used, processing can take anywhere from two weeks to two months. Demand for gelatin is largely driven by the application in soft and hard gelatine capsules. Gelatin capsules are used as oral dosage form in pharmaceutical and neutraceutical feed. The Indian demand is around 12500 tonnes both for the Pharmaceutical and neutraceutical sector (for gelatine capsules) including tablet coating and Food, edible and technical sector. The global demand for gelatine is around 315000 tonnes per annum with a growth rate of around 2% per annum. New entrepreneurs should venture into this field to create new capacities.