As salmon is one of the main fishery products of Hokkaido, it is very important to make effective use of waste materials such as salmon skin. Gelatin is the main component in salmon skin. Gelatin from mammalian skin is used in many foods, medical supplies and cosmetics.

In this study, we investigated a gelatin extraction method from salmon skin and we also analyzed the character of the gelatin. The pickling with salt treatment process (salt process) was compared with the ethanol treatment process (ethanol process) as gelatin was extracted from salmon skin. The salt process was as effective on deodorizing and removing fat as the ethanol process. Furthermore, the salt process was less expensive and simpler than the ethanol process.

The melting point of salmon gelatin was lower than mammalian gelatin but other chemical and physical characteristics were similar. These results suggested that salmon gelatin can be used as an additive in various foods.