Geoff - if the package says "gelatin" or "gelatine", it's processed collagen, an animal product (refined "hide glue", basically!). Agar-agar (from seaweed) is a vegetarian alternative, but not as commonly used, and certainly not in "Jell-O".

Gelatin, or more specifically, Gelatin dessert

"Alternatives to gelatin include non-animal gel sources such as agar-agar (a seaweed), carrageenan, pectin, konjak, and guar gum."

Agar-agar

You may have a larger presence of non-gelatin jelly in the UK nowadays since the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalitis) crisis, however, according to this article from the BBC (from 2000), "Since March 1996, all British-derived gelatin has been banned. All ingredients for gelatin have been imported from abroad by law."

Green is the scourge of the Jell-O line, as far as I'm concerned. Blue, is just wrong.

The ship looks pretty in shiny green, though.

You Brits can get pretty serious about your jellies, though... (Put your cursor on the images there and more will scroll by. Dan, put on your seatbelt.) Click on "Explosion Service", too...

~ Becky in Tucson