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

Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers continue to see an ongoing shift in consumers’ habits when selecting natural over conventional products. The market is definitely trending towards the use of vegetarian capsules versus the traditional gelatine-based products of the past. This is because the vegecaps meet the needs of a far more diverse group of consumers who prefer to avoid animal-derived products.

The common vegetarian capsules are either hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) or pullulan capsules. HPMC is sourced from cellulose. It is used in eye drops and as an excipient and controlled-delivery component in oral medicaments. HPMC is a vegetable cellulose derivative approved by the FDA worldwide while pullulan is produced from starch using fungus. The cost of pullulan capsules is almost triple that of HPMC capsules, which is a key reason why so many manufacturers now opt for HPMC for their pharma and nutraceutical products to be packed in capsules.

HPMC capsules are suitable for vegans and vegetarians as well as consumers who avoid bovine or porcine derived products for religious or cultural reasons. These capsules have also proven to be more stable and have a higher tolerance to heat and humidity. They can be formulated to 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.

One of the automatic PTS production lines installed at Healsee

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 coming online in the third quarter of 2021. It has a yearly output of 20bn capsules covering all sizes, from 000, 00 and 00 EL to 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4. The company also offers a printing service for those manufacturers looking for a solution which differentiates their brand.

Built in 2014, Healsee has grown to be one of the biggest players in the industry because it produces excellent quality capsules at a competitive price. This is made possible through a combination of the raw materials advantage and its advanced production techniques.

As a vertically integrated producer of HPMC capsules in the world, Healsee can meet the demands of any producer of pharma or nutraceutical products, be it a specific colour or size, as the company carries a large variety of solutions. Healsee also guarantees capsules of a consistently high quality, ensuring the best performance on capsule filling machines.

Geared for growth in Africa

Marsing & Co Africa has been successfully supplying the African pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetics, healthcare and animal feed industries since it was incorporated in 1994. Its product portfolio also includes specialised vitamins and minerals used in the fortification of staple foods, such as sugar, maize and wheat.

The company comprises dynamic sales coordinators that look after the South and Southern African markets. The coordinators are supported by efficient administrative staff who are geared towards the fulfilment of customers’ requirements.

Marsing & Co Africa primarily supplies bulk raw ingredients along with various specialised printed and unprinted pharmaceutical packaging products. The company, which is based in Gauteng, South Africa, operates a temperature controlled, pharmaceutically accredited green warehouse and distribution facility which is completely off the grid. Marsing’s regulatory department ensures pharmaceutical industry standards are followed, while its repacking warehouse is geared to meet customers’ needs for smaller pack sizes and to offer customers an all-encompassing basket of quality goods. •

Marsing & Co Africa – www.marsing-sa.com

Shandong Healsee – www.healsee.net