Technologically speaking, gelatine is a hydrocolloid; it forms colloidal solutions with water. They’re actually regarded as ideal colloidal solutions. Other hydrocolloids are, for example, pectin, carrageenan, gum arabic, xanthan, guar gum and locust bean gum, to name just the most important ones. In the food industry, they are used for their functional properties; but, compared with gelatine, their functionalities are rather limited. In many formulations, Gelatine can replace one or more hydrocolloids with only little adjustements.
