The Ingredients In JELL-O Will Shock And Disgust You

The Ingredients In JELL-O Will Shock And Disgust You.

Sometimes the most innocuous of foods contain constituents whose origins are less than appetizing. Such is the case with the Jell-O, a dessert that has graced millions of dinner tables since 1897.

Underneath Jell-O’s jiggly wholesomeness lurks a secret many consumers are disconcerted to learn: Jell-O is made from gelatin, an animal product rendered from the hides and bones of animals.

The production of gelatin starts with the boiling of bones, skin, and hides of cows and pigs, a process that releases the protein rich collagen from animal tissues. The collagen is boiled and filtered numerous times, dried, and ground into a powder.

Because the collagen is processed extensively, the final product is not categorized as a meat or animal product by the federal government. Very strict vegetarians avoid gelatin entirely, but more permissive vegetarians have no problem including Jell-O in their diets.
Jell-O products account for about 80% of the gelatin market. Popular belief has it that gelatin comes from horses’ and cows’ hooves.

Kraft, the maker of Jell-O, asserts that hooves do not contain the necessary collagen and therefore are not used in the production of its Jell-O brand gelatin products. Just the bones, skins and hides.