Can gelatin ever be made with a non-animal product?

Question

I know gelatin's made by boiling hooves/hides/bones of various animals. But a friend of mine said that some gelatin is also plant-based. Is that even possible?

Answer 1

Sure is. Its called Agar.
Agar is an unbranched polysaccharide obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae or seaweed. The word agar comes from the Malay word agar-agar (meaning jelly). It is also known as kanten or agal-agal (Ceylon agar). Chemically, agar is a polymer made up of subunits of the sugar galactose. Agar polysaccharides serve as the primary structural support for the algae's cell walls. Dissolved in hot water and cooled, agar becomes gelatinous. Its chief use is as a culture medium for microbiological work. Other uses are as a laxative, a vegetarian gelatin substitute, a thickener for soups, in jellies, ice cream and Japanese desserts such as anmitsu, as a clarifying agent in brewing, and for paper sizing fabrics.

Answer 2

Yes, there are two types of gelatin--animal based, and plant based.

Food manufacturers really need to start using the plant based gelatin, though, because this could really open a window of foods for all of us vegetarians.

Answer 3

You really neeed to go into the store to find out because all of the products will be different. They may have products that contain bees wax so its best to ask them about it and they can direct yout o the best vegan products.

Answer 4

Yes, I think there is a reasonable fadsimile of gelatin in the vegan world... I wouldn't touch it w/ a ten-foot pole!

Answer 5

yes,some gelatin can be plant beased,but companies mostly use the animal kind because it is dirt cheap because of factory farming.

Answer 6

Yes, there is a form of seaweed that is used in making it for vegetarian people.

Answer 7

plant based gelitin can usually be found at a health food store

Answer 8

This answers your question:

http://www.ivu.org/faq/gelatine.html