In Europe, the production of gelatin and collagen must comply with strict purity standards. The final product must have a conductivity and therefore a salt content below 2000 µS at 1% concentration. To reach this level of purity, manufacturers use ion exchange resins. These include cationic resins, which remove positively charged ions (cations), and anionic resins, which remove negatively charged ions (anions). This process has a direct impact on the overall purity of the product, ensuring that the heavy metal content is practically zero.

In addition, the limit content of heavy metals is subject to EU reg. 853/2004.