Jello

From Chempedia

1 America's Favorite Dessert
2 Gelatin: The Basis of Jell-O
3 Other Uses of Gelatin:
4 Sources:
5 Researched and written by:

America's Favorite Dessert

Jell-O gelatin was first patented in 1845 by Peter Cooper of Tomb Thumb Engine and Cooper Union Fame. Their rough version was the first boxed gelatin dessert, but was difficult to use which made cooks turn to original ways of creating the dessert by boiling gelatin sheets. In 1897 Pearle B. Wait, a cough syrup manufacturer, developed a fruit flavored version of the previous gelatin dessert. It was packaged under the name Jell-O, which was created by his wife, and came in four flavors; strawberry, orange, lemon, and raspberry. Since then, Jell-O has become the leading manufacture of gelatin desserts. But the secret behind gelatin is where it comes from; a very unexpected source.

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Gelatin: The Basis of Jell-O

Gelatin is a processed version of the protein collagen, a simple protein that makes up one-third of all proteins in the human body. The main source of the collagen that is used in Jell-O comes from hooves, bones, connective tissue found on cows, horses and pigs. Along with collagen, Jell-O consists of water, food coloring, sugar, and artificial flavors. Collagen is found in all living animals. This protein is what gives body parts strength, flexibility, and protection. There are five major categories of collagen that range from the fibers in your eyes to the structure of placentas. To harvest the collagen needed for gelatin the Jell-O Corporation turns to natural sources found in cows, horses, and pigs. The animals' body part's which were previously mention are ground up to expose the proteins within. After they are ground up the bio matter is then treated with a strong acid or base, which breaks down the cellular structures of the collagen to release the proteins from connective tissue. After the proteins become separated from the tissues the bio-mass is then discarded. Then, the mixture created from the released proteins (collagen proteins, which are the basis of Jell-O) and the strong acid or base is then boiled.

Picture 1: Original Collage Protein Picture 2: Primary Structure of Collagen Protein

The extracted gelatin is made up of collagen, which originally is in the form of triple helices. All proteins are made of a tangled 'string' of amino acids called a polypeptide chain (picture 1). When the collagen protein is put in boiling water the weak hydrogen bonds formed between the amino acids break, so that the protein structure returns to its primary structure that resembles a long chain (picture 2). Gelatin is then formed from this process of heating the collagen protein. After heating the collagen protein, the gelatin floats to the top of the solution, which is then easily extractable. Gelatin is then added to warm water and allowed to cool. While the mixture of water and gelatin is cooling, the amino acid chain wants to reform back into a variation of its original triple helix shape. Since the cooling gelatin is suspended in water the amino acid chain cannot form back to its original shape due to the added water molecules that occupy space within the space of the original collagen space. This causes the amino acid chain to act as a web, trapping water molecules within its helical form. This is known as a colloidal form, which is a liquid suspended in a solid. Since it is nether a solid or liquid it is why Jell-O has its signature wiggle.

This image is a model of colloid suspensions in a polymer, but its basic idea can be applied to this topic. Moving clockwise from the top left you can see how the amino acid chains return to their original formation while suspending molecules within its framework.

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Other Uses of Gelatin:

Jell-O is one product that the gelatin is found in. Gelatin has many other uses. It can be used as a thickener, an emulsifier, and a stabilizer. Gelatin is aslo found in gummy bears, sour cream, cream cheese, corn beef, gravy, cake icing, marshmallows, and sausage. Along with food, it is also found in the coating of pills, cosmetics, lozenges, and various ointments. Thanks to the triple helical structure of proteins found in gelatin, horse hooves, cow bones, and the connective tissue found in pigs, this wiggly substance has become America's favorite dessert.

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