From Sayyid Sistani’s rulings, gelatin is permissible to eat, whether or not it has been derived from an animal, as long as it undergoes a chemical change. My question is, does gelatin in candy undergo a chemical change making it permissible to eat? When does a chemical change occur?
Unfortunately, it is not within our capability to determine whether a chemical change occurs or not. However, the general principle is that the gelatin must be transformed into a new substance such that we would no longer call it “gelatin”. The way wood turns to ash when it is burned, and thereafter we do not refer to ash as “wood” anymore. If such a change occurs, then it is permissible to consume.