Hence, gelatin contains very small amounts of highly degraded DNA. The methods used for the processing and production of gelatin include acid/base connective tissue hydrolysis, high-temperature extraction using water and sterilization. It is reported that protein-based analytical techniques for the species identification in mixed samples are significantly less sensitive than DNA-based techniques for evaluation of thermally processed materials (i.e., gelatin) because of specific epitope alterations. There are a number of molecular techniques that can be used to identify the origin of gelatin products such as protein/antibody-based (i.e., high-performance liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays) and DNA-based techniques. Methods that rely on physicochemical properties (i.e., chemical precipitation and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) have been proven unsuitable for differentiating a mixture of gelatin (i.e., bovine/porcine mixtures) mainly because of the similarities in structure and physicochemical properties of gelatin derived from different sources. Identifying the source of gelatin is of importance due both to concerns regarding possible disease transmission to humans, as well as religious concerns in Muslim countries (which strictly forbid porcine products). Most (90%) gelatin capsules are derived from porcine tissues due to greater strength, resistance to stress, ability to hold water, higher melting point, shorter production time (30 days versus 60–80 days for bovine gelatin), and low cost. Gelatin is produced from partial denaturation of collagen extracted from the skin, bone, and connective tissue of animals (i.e., cattle and pigs). Soft capsules are mainly filled with liquids, while hard capsules are filled with powder, and vary both in composition and production processes. Gelatin is a high molecular weight protein that is widely used as a viscous agent in hard and soft capsules.

While food products are strictly monitored during halal certification, there are no such requirements for non-food products (i.e., pharmaceuticals). Halal foods (in Islam), pertains to the lawful (or blessed) food or non-food products including pharmaceuticals.

Porcine gelatin made from