Innovations in Gelatin Extraction (2020–2025)

Introduction

Gelatin – a mixture of peptides and proteins derived from collagen – is a key ingredient in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Traditionally, gelatin is extracted from animal by-products (e.g. bovine hides, pig skin, bones) via acid or alkaline pretreatment followed by hot water extractionpatents.google.compatents.google.com. However, recent years (2020–2025) have seen numerous patents introducing improved extraction methods and alternative sources to address challenges like yield efficiency, quality (Bloom strength), safety, religious/ethical compliance, and sustainability. This report provides a comprehensive overview of these patented innovations in gelatin extraction, with an emphasis on developments relevant to Europe and alternative sources such as fish, insects, and plants.

Advances in Extraction Techniques (Process Innovations)

Modern patents show a strong trend toward enhanced extraction processes that improve gelatin yield and quality while being more environmentally friendly:

• Enzymatic Extraction: Enzyme-assisted processes have been refined to boost efficiency. For example, Novozymes (Denmark) patented an enzymatic method using a metalloprotease (family M35) to extract high-Bloom gelatin from collagen materialspatents.google.compatents.google.com. This process uses a Thermoascus aurantiacus protease to partially replace or improve traditional liming/acid steps, resulting in higher yields of "high quality" gelatin (improved gel strength) at lower extraction temperaturespatents.google.compatents.google.com. The European application EP3953428 (published 2020) and its PCT family (WO2020207370A1) exemplify this approach, claiming substantially higher total yield and Bloom strength than conventional techniquespatents.google.compatents.google.com.

• "Green" Extraction Methods: Several recent innovations focus on non-chemical or assisted extraction to maximize efficiency and sustainability. Patents and studies have explored ultrasound-assisted extraction and other physical aids. For instance, a patented process for fish scales uses ultrasonic technology to break collagen bonds and significantly increase gelatin yield without degrading gel strengthpatents.google.com. By combining short-duration low-temperature water extraction with ultrasound, this method preserved gelatin's gelling power while improving outputpatents.google.com. Such techniques reduce reliance on strong chemicals and high heat, aligning with "green chemistry" principlespatents.google.compatents.google.com. Other emerging methods include microwave-assisted extraction, enzyme-ultrasound synergistic extraction, and the use of biodegradable deep eutectic solvents (as investigated in academic research) to obtain gelatin with higher efficiency and fewer contaminants (though patent activity on deep eutectic solvents for gelatin is still nascent).

• Improved Processing Systems: Patent filings also address engineering solutions for gelatin production. A Chinese patent by a major gelatin producer describes a gelatin extraction system designed to reduce product loss and environmental pollutioneureka.patsnap.com. In traditional gelatin manufacture, solid collagen residues after extraction can trap gelatin (reducing yield) and generate malodorous waste. The patented system (CN110760267A, 2020) implements specialized tanks and pumps to recover more gelatin from solids and prevent smelly effluent. It solves problems like high gelatin loss into wastewater, foul odors, and pest attraction by enabling immediate separation and bagging of spent solidseureka.patsnap.com. This integrated process equipment not only improves yield but also eases waste handling, reflecting a trend toward more sustainable, closed-loop gelatin productioneureka.patsnap.com.

• Optimized Pretreatments: Some innovations focus on chemical pretreatment tweaks to improve extraction. For example, using food-grade organic acids (like citric or lactic acid) in place of harsher chemicals has been patented to yield cleaner fish gelatinpatents.google.com. Enzymatic pretreatments with proteases (papain, bromelain, etc.) are also patented to replace extended alkali soaking, significantly cutting process time while maintaining gelatin qualitypatents.google.compatents.google.com. These optimized pretreatment regimes are often coupled with process control methods (e.g. shorter extraction cycles, multi-stage extraction) to maximize output of gelatin with desired molecular weight distributions.

Together, these process innovations benefit all industries that use gelatin by producing higher yields, better gel strength, and more consistent quality gelatin, often with lower environmental impact. For food and pharma uses, higher Bloom strength and purity are especially valuable, and these patents indicate how manufacturers are modernizing century-old extraction processes with biotech and engineering improvements.

Fish and Marine-Based Gelatin Sources

Fish-derived gelatin has become a major focus of patents from 2020 onward, driven by demand for non-mammalian gelatin (suitable for kosher, halal, and pescatarian markets) and the push to valorize fish industry waste in Europe. In fact, one patent analysis found that marine collagen in patents is primarily sourced from fish (~82.9% of described biomass), far outpacing other marine organismssciencedirect.com. Key innovations include:

• Gelatin from Fish Skins and Bones: Numerous patents target efficient extraction from fish processing by-products (skins, scales, bones). For example, an Indian patent (2021, Patent No. 202111030432) discloses a process for producing gelatin from fish skin and bones with various functional propertiesamity.edu. This likely involves tailored pretreatments or blends (perhaps combining acid and enzyme steps) to yield gelatin optimized for certain uses (e.g. specific gel strengths or viscosities). The emphasis on "various functional properties" suggests the process can adjust gelatin characteristics, which is useful for different applications in food (confectionery gels vs. dairy gels) or pharma (soft capsules require specific Bloom ranges).

• European Developments: European firms and researchers have been active in fish gelatin innovation. Tessenderlo Group (Belgium), for instance, filed a PCT (WO2021110729A1, 2021) for a gelatin composition and process that improves solubility by combining gelatin with collagen hydrolysatepatents.google.compatents.google.com. While not an extraction method per se, it reflects a trend to make fish or other gelatins easier to use in food applications (instant gelatin powders, etc.). On the extraction side, Europe's focus is often on mild, food-grade processes – for example, using citric acid pretreatment for fish skins to avoid off-flavors and ensure a food-safe productpatents.google.com. One international patent (WO2019022623A1, 2019) disclosed extracting fish skin gelatin using dilute citric acid, which avoids the "fishy" odor imparted by harsher chemicals. Deodorization is crucial; a Japanese patent noted even tilapia-skin gelatin can retain some odorpatents.google.compatents.google.com, so recent methods often integrate deodorizing steps (activated carbon filtration, fermentation with benign microbes, etc.) to make fish gelatin suitable for cosmetics and foodsdata.epo.org.

• High-Molecular-Weight Fish Gelatin for Pharma: Cold-water fish gelatin typically has lower gel strength and melting point than porcine/bovine gelatin, which can be a limitation. Patents have tackled this by cross-linking fish gelatin or blending it to enhance stability. For instance, Rousselot developed a gelatin (marketed as StabiCaps™) for soft capsules that maintains shell integrity and resists cross-linking-induced hardeningdarlingii.comdarlingii.com. The European Patent Office granted Rousselot's patent on StabiCaps in 2022 (EP application ref. 17754820.3) as a specialized fish or hybrid gelatin excipient for pharmaceuticalsdarlingii.comdarlingii.com. Although StabiCaps is a formulation innovation (possibly involving fish gelatin or modified porcine gelatin), its patent demonstrates industry efforts to make gelatin from any source meet the high stability requirements of drug capsules.

• Jellyfish and Other Marine Collagens: Beyond fish, some patents have explored gelatin/collagen from unconventional marine sources like jellyfish, sponges, or sea cucumbers. Jellyfish collagen, for example, is of interest because it lacks the proline hydroxylation found in mammalian collagens, giving it unique propertiespatents.google.com. A few mid-2010s patents (e.g., WO2015012682A2) outlined processes to extract collagen/gelatin from jellyfish, involving steps to remove neurotoxins and high salt content. By 2020s, this area is still emerging – one recent U.S. patent application (US20220112267A1) cites a "crude extraction process" for jellyfish collagen as prior art and proposes improvements (indicating ongoing innovation in marine invertebrate gelatin)patents.google.com. In Europe, a startup Jellatech Inc. filed EP4225353A1 (published Aug 2023) for producing collagen/gelatin using animal-free cell culture techniques, but interestingly the patent background discusses jellyfish collagen ("collagen type 0") as an attractive alternative to bovine sourcespatents.google.compatents.google.com. This signals that even as biotech methods rise, natural marine sources remain relevant in patent literature.

Overall, fish gelatin extraction patents aim to solve issues of yield, odor, and gel strength to produce gelatin that can truly replace mammalian gelatin in foods and medicines. Many of these innovations have a sustainability angle – turning fish waste into high-value gelatin – and align with European initiatives to reduce agricultural waste. The cosmetics industry also benefits, as marine collagen peptides (often enzymatically hydrolyzed fish gelatin) are highly sought for skincare; indeed, there are patented cosmetic compositions using marine fish-skin collagen for moisturizers and anti-aging productspatents.google.com.

Insect-Derived Gelatin: A Novel Frontier

In the quest for alternative gelatin sources, insects have emerged in research as a promising if unconventional source of collagen. Insects have collagen-like proteins in their exoskeleton connective tissues and soft parts, and by 2020 we see early exploration of insect gelatin extraction. Patents specifically on insect gelatin are still relatively scarce (reflecting that this field is nascent and often still at the academic stage), but a few trends and examples can be noted:

• Edible Insect Species: Studies have shown that insects such as the melon bug (Aspongopus viduatus) and sorghum bug (Agonoscelis sp.) can yield gelatin. One 2020 study (Kim et al. 2020) extracted gelatin from these edible insects, reporting yields around 3% (of raw material) and gel strengths in the 113–355 Bloom rangejournals.sagepub.com. These yields are lower than fish or porcine sources, but demonstrate viability. The extraction methods mirror traditional processes (acid or base pretreatment, followed by hot-water extraction), sometimes with additional steps to remove non-collagenous proteinsfood.actapol.netjournals.indexcopernicus.com. Mild acid pretreatment in combination with hot water gave better yields than water alonejournals.sagepub.com, indicating insects likely require similar collagen pretreatments as other animals.

• Patent Activity: While no high-profile European patents on insect gelatin have been published as of 2025, there is growing interest globally that may lead to patent filings. In some jurisdictions, we see related patents – for example, a Chinese patent CN112898398B (2021) discusses collagen proteins from silkworm pupae (though focused on a specific truncated collagen for biomaterials)patents.google.com. Another line of innovation is using transgenic insects: Japanese researchers patented silkworms that produce human collagen in their cocoonspatents.google.com, effectively turning an insect into a collagen bioreactor. This isn't traditional extraction from insect tissue, but it bridges insects and recombinant collagen technology.

• Potential and Challenges: Insect-sourced gelatin is attractive for sustainability (insect farming has a low environmental footprint) and for avoiding religious constraints (similar to fish gelatin). Europe's novel food regulations are gradually opening to insects, which could extend to collagen extraction in the future. Anticipated patents might focus on improving insect gelatin yields or functionalizing it (e.g. cross-linking insect gelatin to improve its lower gel strength). For cosmetics, insect collagens could find use in wound dressings or skincare, and indeed patents on silk proteins (sericin, fibroin) for cosmetics (like Korean Patent KR101506505B1) hint at interest in insect-derived biopolymers beyond silkpubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. It's reasonable to expect that as insect proteins gain acceptance, targeted patents on insect collagen extraction (perhaps using grasshoppers, mealworms, or black soldier fly residues) will appear, leveraging mild extraction methods to preserve functionality. For now, insects remain an emerging source with few direct patents, but strong research momentum.

Plant-Based and Recombinant Gelatin Alternatives

The period 2020–2025 has also seen exciting innovations in animal-free gelatin alternatives, driven by the rise of veganism and the quest for functional equivalents to gelatin. Patents in this space fall into two categories: plant-derived substitutes that mimic gelatin's properties, and recombinant production of actual gelatin/collagen using biotechnology.

• Plant-Derived Gelatin Substitutes: Traditional plant hydrocolloids (agar, pectin, carrageenan) have long been used as gelatin alternatives, but they do not fully replicate gelatin's unique thermoreversible gelling and foaming propertiesinsights.figlobal.cominsights.figlobal.com. Recent innovation aims to modify plant proteins to behave more like gelatin. A notable example is a pea protein-based gelatin substitute developed by researchers at University of Alberta, Canada. They discovered certain treatments (e.g. adjusting pH) that induce thermal reversibility in pea protein gels – meaning the protein can set into a gel and melt again like gelatininsights.figlobal.cominsights.figlobal.com. This technology, which is patent-pending as of 2023, produces a gel with higher protein content than typical plant gels and the ability to cycle between liquid and gel states easilyinsights.figlobal.cominsights.figlobal.com. The team led by Dr. Lingyun Chen accidentally found these conditions and are now scaling the process for real applications like gummy candies and dairy gelsinsights.figlobal.com. If patented and commercialized, such structured plant proteins could fill a gap in the market for a true 1:1 gelatin replacement. We are likely to see patents on combinations of plant hydrocolloids and proteins that together emulate gelatin's texture (for example, blends of pea protein with gums, or novel cross-linking of plant proteins).

• Fermentation and Cell-Culture (Bio-Identical Gelatin): Perhaps the most groundbreaking developments are patents for producing genuine collagen/gelatin without animals, using biotechnology:

  • Precision Fermentation (Microbial): Companies like Geltor (USA) have pioneered the production of gelatin through engineered microbes. Geltor's approach inserts collagen genes into microbes (yeast or bacteria) which then secrete collagen peptides that can be processed into gelatin. Geltor's patent US 11,332,505 B2 (granted May 2022) covers methods for making "animal-free dietary collagen" via recombinant expressionpatentimages.storage.googleapis.com. The patent describes engineering host cells that produce collagens or collagen fragments with tailored sequences (including designs not found in nature), which can be used in food and cosmetics. This technology yields bio-identical gelatin (or designer variants) that is vegan and free of contamination risks. Geltor has demonstrated success by launching commercial collagen ingredients (e.g. PrimaColl™ for food in 2022)insights.figlobal.cominsights.figlobal.com. Their patents typically claim specific gene sequences, expression systems, and purification methods to obtain high yields of collagen peptides. In Europe, such microbial collagen would be regulated as a novel ingredient, but IP filings indicate strong interest – Geltor reportedly has dozens of patents worldwideinsights.greyb.com.

  • Cell Culture (Mammalian or Other Cell Lines): Another approach is growing animal cells (or tissues) that produce collagen, then extracting it – essentially lab-grown collagen. Jellatech Inc. filed patents in this arena, with EP4225353A1 (published 2023) explicitly focusing on producing collagen/gelatin from animal cell lines or tissue explantspatents.google.com. Jellatech's patent aims to replace bovine/porcine gelatin by harvesting collagen from cultured cells, which could be genetically optimized to secrete collagen in large quantities. This method can yield human-collagen identical gelatin (useful for biomedical applications) or any target collagen, without raising or slaughtering animals. The patent likely covers bioprocess conditions and scaffolds that allow cells (possibly fibroblasts or jellyfish cells, as hinted in the text) to produce and assemble collagen which is then isolatedpatents.google.compatents.google.com. While still early-stage, Jellatech's progress (and a $3.5M seed round in 2021) shows this vision is being patented and developedinsights.figlobal.cominsights.figlobal.com.

• Hybrid and Miscellaneous Innovations: Some patents propose blending gelatin with other polymers to extend it or impart new functionality, which can be seen as bridging animal and plant sources. For instance, one trend in patents is combining gelatin with polysaccharides in novel ways (e.g. gelatin bound to pectin or starch to improve its thermal stability or to create edible films). Another patented innovation is instant gelatin powders – e.g., a patent for gelatin particles coated with collagen hydrolysate to improve cold-water solubilitypatents.google.compatents.google.com, addressing a practical usage hurdle. These types of patents ensure gelatin (whether from animal, fish, or recombinant source) can be easily used in modern food processes.

The plant-based and recombinant gelatin innovations are particularly relevant to the food and cosmetic industries. Food tech startups are eager to patent vegan gelatin formulations for confectionery, given the "holy grail" status of finding a true gelatin replacementinsights.figlobal.cominsights.figlobal.com. In cosmetics and biomedicine, human-identical collagen from fermentation or cell culture is valuable for biocompatible products (wound healing scaffolds, injectable fillers, etc.). While these technologies are still reaching scale, the flurry of patent activity suggests that by the late 2020s, we may see commercial gelatin that is entirely animal-free competing with traditional gelatin – a development carefully documented in patents during 2020–2025.

Industry-Specific Highlights

The above innovations often cut across multiple industries, but certain patents have clear primary applications:

• Food Industry: Many patents aim to improve gelatin for confections and functional foods. Rousselot's SiMoGel™ technology is a prime example – it enables gummy production in starch-free silicone molds by using a special gelatin formula that fast-sets in under 30 minuteskennedysconfection.co.uk. The USPTO granted SiMoGel U.S. Patent 11,490,634 in 2022kennedysconfection.co.uk, and a European patent was granted in late 2021kennedysconfection.co.uk. This innovation eliminates the traditional starch tray process (which is time-consuming and can risk cross-contamination), heralding a new era of clean, efficient gummy manufacturingkennedysconfection.co.uk. In Europe, where many gummy supplement makers seek vegan or efficient processes, such gelatin advancements are crucial. Additionally, food patents increasingly cover halal/kosher gelatin production (often fish or poultry-derived) to supply the growing market in Europe and the Middle East for permissible gummy candies, marshmallows, and desserts.

• Pharmaceutical Industry: Pharmaceutical-grade gelatin must meet strict standards for capsule production, vaccine stabilization, and hemostatic sponges. The StabiCaps patent mentioned earlier directly addresses softgel capsule stabilitydarlingii.com, solving the issue of gelatin reacting with certain fill ingredients (cross-linking can cause capsules to become brittle). By tweaking the gelatin (potentially via blending with specific plasticizers or using fish gelatin with particular Bloom), the patented StabiCaps formula minimizes cross-linking and ensures reliable API releasedarlingii.comdarlingii.com. Another area of pharma innovation is vaccine-grade gelatin: for instance, recombinant gelatin (e.g. EP2011874A1) has been explored for use in vaccines to avoid animal-sourced gelatin, thereby reducing allergy riskspatents.google.com. Furthermore, patents like a Chinese WO2021112490A1 (2021) have looked at ultraclean fish gelatin for use in encapsulating probiotic or drug products, highlighting gelatin's continued importance. The pharma industry also benefits from the enzymatic extraction patents (Novozymes) that yield high-purity, high-strength gelatin suitable for hard capsules and tabletspatents.google.compatents.google.com.

• Cosmetic Industry: Cosmetics often use collagen peptides for anti-aging creams, masks, and supplements. Many patents in 2020–2025 focus on marine collagens for this sector. For example, a Chinese patent CN113116234A (2021) details a marine fish skin collagen peptide composition for moisturizers, including an extraction method that removes fishy odor and yields low-molecular-weight peptides easily absorbed by skinpatents.google.com. Collagen's presence in hair and skin products has led to patents on formulations where gelatin/collagen is combined with other actives (vitamins, herbal extracts) to enhance efficacy. Additionally, biotech collagen is targeting the high-end cosmetic market: Geltor initially launched a line of recombinant collagens for skincare (e.g. HumaColl21®), and their patents protect various collagen sequence variants optimized for skin benefitsinsights.figlobal.com. We also see crossover patents like KR101462485B1 which uses silk fibroin and gelatin in hydrogels for burn treatmentpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, illustrating how gelatin extraction and modification patents feed into cosmetic and biomedical applications for wound healing and tissue engineering.

Conclusion

Between 2020 and 2025, gelatin technology has advanced on multiple fronts. Patents from this period document a clear push toward more efficient extraction processes (enzymatic, physical aids, improved equipment) and a diversification of gelatin sources beyond the traditional porcine/bovine supply. Fish-based gelatin has moved to the forefront, especially in Europe, thanks to its acceptance in various cultural diets and sustainability advantages; innovators have solved many fish gelatin challenges, paving the way for its broader use in foods, capsules, and cosmetics. Insect gelatin is at an exploratory stage – an intriguing future resource that may become more prominent as processing techniques improve and regulatory landscapes adapt. Meanwhile, the rise of plant-based and lab-grown gelatin alternatives is perhaps the most radical shift, promising nearly identical functionality with no animal inputs. Early patents in this space suggest that tomorrow's gummy candies or anti-wrinkle creams might contain gelatin made by yeast or formulated from legumes, without any slaughtered animal.

In summary, the patent trends of 2020–2025 paint a picture of an industry in transformation. Gelatin extraction is becoming more high-tech and sustainable, drawing on biotechnology, novel raw materials, and clever engineering. The food industry is seeing faster, cleaner ways to produce beloved gelatin-based products; pharma and cosmetics are obtaining safer and specialized gelatin ingredients; and Europe stands as a key region where many of these innovations are being developed or implemented. The diverse patents highlighted – from enzymatic extraction processes to vegan collagen production – collectively illustrate how a centuries-old ingredient is being reinvented for the modern age.

Sources and Patent References

• Enzymatic Extraction – Novozymes: WO2020207370A1 (PCT/EP2020, published 15 Oct 2020) – Method for extracting gelatin using a family M35 protease (Novozymes A/S)patents.google.compatents.google.com. (Family includes EP3953428A1 and US20220186079A1patents.google.compatents.google.com.)

• Ultrasound-Assisted Fish Gelatin: CN103289575A (2013, Nanchang Univ.) – Ultrasonic low-temperature extraction of fish scale gelatin, improves yield and gel strengthpatents.google.com. (Pre-2020 innovation laying groundwork for later "green" extraction patents.)

• Gelatin Extraction System: CN110760267A (pub. Feb 2020, Guangdong Mingyang Gelatin Co.) – System to reduce gelatin loss and odor in extraction processeureka.patsnap.comeureka.patsnap.com. Engineering solution for continuous gelatin recovery and waste handling.

• Fish By-product Gelatin (India): IN 202111030432 (filed 2021, Amity Univ.) – Process for production of gelatin from fish skin and bones with various functional propertiesamity.edu. Illustrates academic efforts to valorize fish waste.

• Rousselot SiMoGel™: US 11,490,634 B2 (granted Nov 2022) – Gelatin technology for starch-free gummy productionkennedysconfection.co.ukkennedysconfection.co.uk. European Patent for SiMoGel was granted in Nov 2021 (EPO)kennedysconfection.co.uk. Enables <30 min set gummies using metal or silicone molds.

• Rousselot StabiCaps™: EP 3276723 (EP 17754820.3, granted 2022) – Gelatin excipient for stable soft capsules (Rousselot/Darling Ingredients)darlingii.comdarlingii.com. Improves shell stability and prevents cross-linking in nutraceutical and pharma softgels.

• Marine Collagen Cosmetic: CN113116234A (2021) – Marine fish skin collagen for moisturizing/anti-aging cosmeticpatents.google.com. Covers extraction of odorless fish collagen peptides and formulation in skincare products.

• Jellyfish Collagen Extraction: WO2015012682A2 (2015) – Process for extracting collagen from jellyfish, referenced in later patentspatents.google.com. Showed early method (alkaline treatment, etc.) for marine invertebrate gelatin; spurred interest in non-fish marine sources.

• Jellatech (Cell-Culture Collagen): EP4225353A1 (published 16 Aug 2023) – Producing collagen/gelatin from animal cell lines or tissue explants (Jellatech Inc.)patents.google.com. Aims to replace bovine/porcine collagen with lab-grown collagen ("cellular agriculture" approach)insights.figlobal.com.

• Geltor (Fermented Gelatin): US 11,332,505 B2 (granted May