PHARMA FOCUS: TABLETTING & ENCAPSULATION
Choose the best capsule type for your dietary supplement
In the recent past, consumers have started to evaluate their health and wellness-related consumption. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed them even further to re-look their related consumption propensity of capsules. As a result, vegetarian capsules have become very popular in the global dietary supplement market. Marsing & Co Africa, a representative, importer and distributor of ingredients and packaging for the pharmaceutical industry, is pleased to bring the African consumer HPMC vegecaps from Shandong Healsee, guaranteeing consistent quality and uninterrupted supply of these capsules. By Abby Vorster
P
HARMACEUTICAL AND NUTRACEUTICAL
derivative approved by the FDA worldwide
manufacturers continue to see an
while pullulan is produced from starch using
ongoing shift in consumers’ habits when
fungus. The cost of pullulan capsules is
selecting natural over conventional products.
almost triple that of HPMC capsules,
The market is definitely trending towards the
which is a key reason why so many
use of vegetarian capsules versus the traditional
manufacturers now opt for HPMC for
gelatine-based products of the past. This is
their pharma and nutraceutical products
because the vegecaps meet the needs of a far
to be packed in capsules.
more diverse group of consumers who prefer to avoid animal-derived products.
HPMC capsules are suitable for vegans and vegetarians as well as
The common vegetarian capsules are
consumers who avoid bovine or porcine
either hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)
derived products for religious or cultural
or pullulan capsules. HPMC is sourced from
reasons. These capsules have also proven to
cellulose. It is used in eye drops and as an
be more stable and have a higher tolerance to
excipient and controlled-delivery component in
heat and humidity. They can be formulated to
oral medicaments. HPMC is a vegetable cellulose
either dissolve faster or slower in the stomach. Compared to gelatine capsules, HPMC capsules have lower moisture content, making them suitable for medicinal preparations that easily absorb moisture and/or react with moisture content. HPMC is also free of amino acids, so there is no risk of a cross-linking reaction.
UNRIVALLED QUALITY AND SUPPLY Shandong Healsee (Healsee), a subsidiary of the Shandong Head – one of Asia’s largest producers of HPMC for the food and pharmaceutical industries – specialises in producing HPMC vegetarian capsules. What sets the company apart from other suppliers is that it is vertically integrated, handling everything in house, from manufacturing (HPMC) to producing the finished product (HPMC capsules). In terms of its production capability, Healsee is the biggest manufacturer in China and the fifth largest in the world. It is home to 38 automatic production lines with another eight new lines
One of the automatic PTS production lines installed at Healsee
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QUARTER 1 2021 // P&C AFRICA
