The answer is simple: they're the same product, just with different spellings. Gelatin is the American spelling, while in the UK we use gelatine with an "e" on the end. Both refer to exactly the same natural protein ingredient.
What Is Gelatine?
Gelatine is a pure, natural protein obtained from animal raw materials containing collagen. It is an irreversibly hydrolysed form of collagen and is classified as a food ingredient—not a food additive with an E-Number. Gelatine is 84–90% protein.
Protein is essential to human life. Unlike fats and carbohydrates, which can substitute for one another in the metabolism over time, the body requires protein daily. As a natural foodstuff, gelatine provides invaluable nutritional support to the human organism.
Key Characteristics
Gelatine is a clean-label ingredient that:
Contains no preservatives or additives
Is free of fat and cholesterol
Causes no common allergies
Delivers 84–90% pure protein
Applications and Properties
Gelatine is most commonly used in food applications, followed by pharmaceutical, photographic, and technical uses. What makes gelatine unique is its combination of functional properties in a single ingredient, including:
Gelling
Thickening
Foam building
Stabilising
Water binding
Hydrolysed Collagen vs. Gelatine: What's the Difference?
While hydrolysed collagen and gelatine share the same raw material base, their production processes and properties differ significantly.
Hydrolysed collagen is produced through enzymatic hydrolysis of collagen. This process creates shorter peptide chains and a lower molecular weight, which means hydrolysed collagen has no gelling power. Instead, it offers a range of health and beauty-related benefits.
Hydrolysed Collagen Characteristics
Type I hydrolysed collagen—the same type found in human bones and skin
97% protein (on a dry weight basis)
No gelling strength
Highly soluble, even in cold liquids
Excellent organoleptic (taste and odour) properties
Hydrolysed collagen plays an important role in functional foods and dietary supplements, particularly for bone and joint health and beauty maintenance. As a pure protein, it's also used in weight management products such as nutritional bars and diet formulations.
