what is the gelatin of candies hiding?

Sweets, children and grown-ups love it. The main ingredient of most of them is gelatin. And, very often, it is of animal origin. What is she hiding?

Bones and crushed tendons, among others

Candies such as cubs, strawberries, crocodiles and even lightened yogurts owe their particular texture to gelatin. These sweets consumed daily, everyone or almost loves it. Yet, a problem arises. Gelatin which gels and thickens these products is made from animal products.

The origins of animal gelatin in a video Brut :

The tissues of fish, cattle and pigs are used in the majority of cases. To obtain this substance, bones, tendons and skin are crushed before being heated in hydrochloric acid. At the end of this process, a translucent substance without taste or smell takes shape. It is the gelatin that will be found in the composition of sweets, in particular.

The animal origin rarely mentioned on the labels

The animal origin of gelatin is often not mentioned on product labels. This substance is also strongly criticized by the animal welfare badociations. A supplier of the Haribo brand located in Germany has been accused of raising pigs in their excrement, and sometimes even without drinking water. Alongside them, sick pigs destined to finish in gelatin

However, there are gelling agents that do not come from animal products. For example, agar-agar, pea or corn starch can be used for this purpose. Agar-agar is a natural gelling agent that is obtained from algae. In 2015, it is estimated that all industries combined produced 412,700 tonnes of animal gelatin. Some badociations denounce an obsolete use of this product, and sometimes cruel breeding conditions in which animals must live.