Fish gelatin as an alternative to mammalian gelatin for food industry: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Gelatin is prepared from heat denaturation and partial hydrolysis of collagen from mammalian sources and is a common ingredient in the food industry. Diet restrictions of porcine gelatin due to culture and/or religion, and the health safety concerns due to an onset of zoonotic disease in cattle from earlier period, have led to the search for alternative gelatin sources. The most extensively studied alternatives with high potential are fish and fish by-products. However, fish gelatin application in the food industry is still limited due to inferior performance in gelling ability. The gel strength values of the warm-water and cold-water fish gelatin compared to mammalian gelatin, were evaluated by meta-analysis to determine their potential as an alternative. Through rigorous screening of the extraction and gel strength determination methods, a total of 13 studies were included in the analysis. The mean gel strength of fish gelatin was significantly lower in comparison to mammalian gelatin (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the warm-water fish skin gelatin was the only sample group with a combined effect estimate point that overlapped and extended pass the null effect line, making it the most suitable substitute of mammalian gelatin in food gel preparation when compared to other fish gelatins.