Excipient (pharmacologically inactive substance)

What is it?

Gelatin is an animal protein made by boiling the collagenous material from animal bones, hides, and skins. Pig and cattle bones are typically used to make gelatin. Gelatin has many uses, including use in cooking, industrial uses, cosmetics and photography.

In the pharmaceutical industry, gelatin is used primarily to make hard and soft gelatin capsules. Other uses include tablets, emulsions, suppositories and syrups. It has been used for over 125 years in the food industry.^[1] Gelatin is generally recognized as safe by the FDA.^[2]