transparently good for you

From: Found In Mom's Basement

"Gelatin, a protein produced from collagen extracted from the boiled bones, connective tissues, and intestines of animals, has been well-known and used for many years. [...] In Utah, where Jell-O is the official state snack, Jello salad is available in local restaurants such as Chuck-A-Rama. [...] In 2001, Green Jell-O was declared the 'Official State Snack' of Utah, with Governor Michael O. Leavitt declaring an annual 'Jell-O Week.' During the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the souvenir pins included one depicting green Jell-O."
 — Wikipedia
Read more...
"Since 1986 when the presence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, was reported in Great Britain, there has been much concern about the processing of beef bones for the production of gelatin. In 1989, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the importation of cattle from the Department of Agriculture's list of of BSE-designated countries. However, a 1994 FDA ruling allowed the continued importation of bones and tissues for the production of pharmaceutical grade gelatin.
     By 1997, however, the FDA held hearings to reconsider its decision. After interviewing gelatin processors, the agency found that while gelatin has not been implicated in the spread of BSE, officials are not convinced that the manufacturing processing is extracting all possible agents that are responsible for the disease. It was generally agreed that beef sources carry more of a risk than those from pork, that bones carry a higher risk than skins, and that alkaline processing is more effective than the acid-extraction method. These findings will certainly affect the gelatin-processing industry in the next century."
—How Products Are Made
Read more...
"Amongst end users [...], food and beverage manufacturers comprise the largest market for gelatine, which is derived from collagen found in animal skin and bones, and is used for its neutral taste and emulsifying, binding, stabilising and gelling advantages in a range of foods.
     But GIA [Global Industry Analysts] warned that the industry’s steady growth trend is threatened by the growing trend towards vegetarianism among consumers, especially after scares over fatal neuro-degenerative disease BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), which have prompted food manufacturers to source gelatine substitutes.
     [...] gelatine manufacturers are using also new research to combat bad publicity, promoting gelatine as safe for human consumption and making 'concerted efforts to dissipate the misconception that gelatine is a potential carrier of BSE.'” — Ben Boukley, Food Navigator
Read more...