A history of gelatine
Gelatine is used as a therapeutic and food agent dates back to both the Ancient Chinese and Ancient Egyptians. Gelatine and Collagen like mixtures were used as glue, as long ago as 8 thousand years.
There are records of a savory jelly being made in the royal courts of England in the Middle Ages.
It was probably the first functional food, used in Europe. Production really started with the invention of the “digestor” by the Frenchman Papin in 1682.
Just as vitamins occupy the centre of the stage in nutritional investigations today, so two hundred years ago gelatine held a position in the forefront of food research. It was universally acclaimed as a most nutritious foodstuff particularly by the French, and was extensively used as a protein source during the Napoleonic wars, to feed both the French army and also civilians when food was scarce. This was especially so during the siege of Paris, a doctor by the name of Gerard put his patients on a gelatine bouillon with some added fat, and they survived the siege in good health.
Historical Uses
Although it’s not a complete protein, containing only the amino acids arginine and glycine in large amounts, it acts as a protein sparer, helping the poor stretch a few morsels of meat into a complete meal.
In 1833 the first gelatine capsules started to be used to help mask the taste of unpalatable medicines. The first factories specialising in producing these capsules started production in the 1870’s
In the 1880’s the use of gelatine in photography brought photography into wider use. The first retail packs started been sold in the 1890’s
During both the First and Second world wars it was extensively used in various medical procedures. It has also been found to be useful in a long list of diseases.
Today it is extensively used in the food, beauty, healthcare and pharmaceutical industries amongst others