GELITA® Gelatine in Organic Products

GELITA® Gelatine can be used in products labeled as “USDA Organic.”
This is the result of a recent ruling by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

April 25, 2008.
Consumer concerns about the healthfulness and safety of their foods have, in part, contributed to the rapidly emerging organic food market. In the infancy of the organic movement, the USDA established an organic certification program requiring organic foods and producers to meet stringent government regulations. Through this program, producers of organic foods must meet certain criteria for how foods are grown, handled and processed. The USDA must certify these producers before they may market or label a product as organic.

The USDA recently cited gelatine as one of 38 ingredients that may be used in “USDA Organic” products. These so called minor ingredients can comprise up to 5 percent of an organic product.

In the United States, there are three varying levels of organic classification:

  • 100 percent organic
    Single-ingredient foods like fruits, vegetables or eggs – can be labeled as 100 percent organic.
  • USDA Organic
    Multiple ingredient foods, like cereal, beer or yogurt, can use the USDA organic seal (see graphic) if at least 95 percent of their ingredients are organic and the other 5 percent of ingredients, the minor ingredients, are on the USDA’s approved list of 38 minor ingredients. Gelatine is on this list of approved minor ingredients.


  • Made with organic ingredients
    Foods with multiple ingredients, of which at least 70 percent are organic, can be labeled as “Made with Organic Ingredients,” but cannot use the USDA organic seal.


“Consumers and producers have long recognized the safety and high quality of gelatine. GELITA® Gelatine is produced from natural raw materials approved by governmental authorities,” said Mike Dunn, Ph.D., vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at GELITA USA Inc. Because of their high safety profile, GELITA products are found and used in nearly every kitchen worldwide.


About GELITA:
GELITA AG is the world’s leading manufacturer of gelatine and collagen hydrolysate. With production facilities in Europe, North America, South America and the Asian-Pacific Basin, the group employs some 2,800 people worldwide.

GELITA products are valuable collagenous proteins used in the food, health/pharmaceutical and photography industries. Products containing GELITA gelatine include gummy bears, marshmallows, cereal and nutrition bars, fitness beverages for joint nutrition, soft-shell and hard-shell capsules for vitamins and pharmaceuticals, as well as photographic film and special paper for ink-jet printers.