Process for the production of gelatin from fish skins

摘要

A process for the production of gelatin from fish skins comprises the steps of: (a) cleaning the skins in order to remove therefrom substantially all superfluous material; (b) treating with dilute aqueous alkali; (c) washing with water until the washing water is substantially neutral; (d) treating with dilute aqueous mineral acid; (e) washing with water until the washing water is substantially neutral; (f) treating with dilute aqueous citric acid and/or another suitable organic acid; (g) washing with water until the washing water is substantially neutral; and (h) extracting with water at elevated temperatures not above about 55 DEG c., the washed citric acid-treated skins. In practice, the present process employs much lower temperatures than known heretofore for the treatment steps, which results in a high quality product (e.g. absence of a fishy smell), compared with the prior art.