Expert: J. Peter Clark - 7/16/2004

Question
Hello!  I don't want to waste your time on this question, but I am having a debate at work right now. I need to know what ingredience are in jello, a guy at work told me that it has horse hoof in it. Is this true? And also is gum made out of whale blubber?  I don't know if you have the answer to these questions.  I am seriously woundering if they are true.  And I do have some money on it.

Thanks-
Kelli

Answer
Kelli,

I hope you are on the right side of these answers.
1. Jello, and other gelatin desserts, use gelatin obtained primarily from cattle skins and bones. Gelatin can be made from almost any animal skin and bones, including pork and horses, if they were available, but there are very few horses slaughtered for food. The skins and bones are treated as food, even though the process highly purifies the gelatin. Different grades of gelatin are obtained, which are used in film, capsules for pharmaceuticals, and foods. Cattle is preferred for many foods because it can be Kosher. Gelatin is also obtained from fish for certain purposes, again because it is Kosher.
2. By gum I assume you mean chewing gum. The older and original source of gum for this purpose is chicle, a kind of rubber obtained from trees in South America. Because chicle is a natural product, its price and properties vary, so modern chewing gums often use synthetic resins or polymers, like rubber, to replace or add to chicle. These are all safe to put in your mouth. They do not come from whales. Very few whales are harvested anymore, and those that are are used mostly for food. Some whale oil has very specific uses, but not in food.