Fish gelatin modifications: A comprehensive review

Abstract Background Gelatin, one of the most popular biopolymers, is widely used in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Mammalian gelatin accounts for the vast majority of commercial gelatin, but due to the socio-cultural and health-related concerns, it has been subjected to constraint and skepticism for many years. Fish gelatin has been considered as an excellent alternative to mammalian gelatin because of similarity of its functional properties with mammalian gelatin. Nevertheless, compared with mammalian gelatin, fish gelatin possesses inferior gelation and rheological properties, which limit its extensive application. Scope and approach This review provides a comprehensive overview of various techniques that have been used to improve gelation properties of fish gelatin underlying their modification mechanisms as well as applications. Finally, a brief discussion on safety and regulatory status, and future potentials of modification fish gelatin is provided. Key findings and conclusions Various approaches have been put forward for improving gelation and rheological properties of fish gelatin. The combination of different modification methods is a novel strategy to overcome the shortcomings of fish gelatin. However, further scientific research studies are still required to better understand the exact mechanism of such modifications and expand their application ranges in food industries.