
July 03, 2026 2 min read
We are often asked ‘Should I order Gelatine or Collagen?’ and the answer is, that it very much depends on what you want to use it for. So let’s try to be a bit more helpful!
Essentially Gelatine and Collagen are the same thing and come from the same source. They share similar amino acid profiles (they are both particularly rich in glycine, proline,and glutamine) and are both derived from animals (mammals, birds, fish or marine organisms). They are different in their physical appearance, how they interact with liquids and how well they are thought to be absorbed by the body.
The Collagen we sell is a light coloured powder (some people call it cream coloured) that dissolves easily in hot or cold liquids, and is used mainly for its health benefits to support skin, bones, joints, muscles, tendons etc. Collagen is thought to be more easily absorbed by the body than Gelatine.
We sell Gelatine in 2 forms, one is a light coloured granular powder, and the other is a slightly flexible ‘leaf’ or ‘sheet’. Gelatine thickens and gels in lukewarm liquids (it usually needs ‘blooming’ first) and is used mainly in cooking for sweets, desserts, soups, mousses, cheesecakes, jellies etc.
Maybe a comparison table will help:
|
Feature |
Collagen |
Gelatine |
|
Appearance |
Light-coloured fine powder |
1) Light-coloured granular powder 2) Slightly flexible sheet |
|
Interaction with Liquids |
Dissolves in any liquid, hot or cold |
Thickens and gels in lukewarm water, more jelly-like when cooled |
|
Taste |
Most people do not detect any taste |
Most people do not detect any taste |
|
Digestibility |
Highly digestible |
Slightly slower digestion |
|
Mainly used for: |
Health benefits (to support skin elasticity, joint strength and gut integrity). |
Cooking,confectionary or baking |
|
Ideas for culinary use |
Mix into a hot or cold drink Add to soups, stews, or sauces Mix with the liquid used for cereals, risottos etc |
Make sweets and ice cream. Used to set desserts. Use to thicken soups and stews, and fruit preserves |
Although most people only think of Gelatin in the context of cooking or baking, it is also used to make Gelli plates for printing, for Special Effects make up, for safe children’s play materials.
Gelatine glue is still used in traditional crafts such as antique furniture restoration, painting restoration, musical instrument manufacture and to prepare artists canvases
If you use Gelatine in a way that we haven’t mentioned, then please get in touch and let us know the details - we might even be able to mention you on our website.