Capsule Manufacturing

If you plan to offer capsule nutrition as part of your private label nutraceuticals, you will be faced with an important choice: Should you use gelatin or cellulose capsules? To help you make an informed decision that suits the needs of your brand, here are the pros and cons of gelatin and cellulose capsules.

Why Offer Capsule Supplements?

Before we go into the pros and cons of capsule materials, we should talk about why you should consider offering capsule supplements. Capsules are easier to swallow, so they are more consumer friendly. They also disguise the flavors of unpleasant tasting herbs. Capsules come in a variety of sizes so you can meter out exactly the right amount of ingredients. They can also offer liquid supplementation. Finally, capsules dissolve easily, so they are great for fast delivery of private label nutraceuticals.

Pros And Cons Of Gelatin

Gelatin capsules are made from boiling down the bones, connective tissue, and hooves of animals. The resulting capsules are tasteless, odorless, and colorless.

Pros:

• Very inexpensive to produce
• Increase the bioavailability of the supplements inside
• Gelatin has a lot of health benefits containing vitamins, minerals, and proteins

Cons:

• Not vegan or vegetarian-friendly, so you will miss out on part of the market
• They are not kosher because they can contain pig, so you’ll miss out on part of the market
• Protein in gelatin can create problems for people with liver and kidney issues

Pros And Cons Of Cellulose

Cellulose capsules, also called vegetarian or vegan capsules, are made from the fibers of plants. Like gelatin, the resulting capsules are tasteless, odorless, and colorless.

Pros:

• They are vegetarian and kosher-friendly
• Better suited for certain supplements like liquids and hydrosensitive supplements than gelatin
• Cellulose is a type of fiber which is really good for digestion and blocking the absorption of cholesterol

Cons:

• Pricier than gelatin capsules
• Cellulose is very fibrous and can cause issues for people with stomach sensitivities
• Cellulose capsules take a little longer to digest than gelatin capsules

At Vitakem, we offer a full range of private label nutraceuticals to give our customers a range of options for their supplement line. If you are still unsure which capsule is right for you, give us a call and we can help you understand which capsule will be best for your specific supplement line. We can also help make sure that your capsules are the right size and contain the exact amount of ingredients in order to deliver the highest level of nutrition to your customers.