Animals are the source of gelatin capsules. However, because of dietary and religious requirements, soft gel capsules that are vegetarian or non-animal are growing in popularity. Consumers are becoming more conscious of the ethical and environmental effects of the substances in their food.
In this article, I define what non-animal soft gel capsules are and what and where to source their ingredients. I also discuss the manufacturing process of non-animal soft gel capsules and their applications.
What Are Non-Animal Soft Gel Capsules?
Alt: Pure Black Cumin Oil With Vitamin E Capsule (Image from Amazon).
Non-animal soft gel capsules are physically identical to the standard gelatin soft gel capsules. The non-animal components used in producing vegan soft gels are the only distinction. The vegan soft gel capsules are soft and retain similar shapes to gelatin soft gels.
Vegetarian (non-animal) soft gel capsules have the primary benefit of being composed entirely of natural ingredients rather than animal products. Thus, they fulfil the requirements for GMO, Halal, and Kosher products.
Moreover, non-animal soft gel capsules dissolve more quickly than gelatin capsules. Their absorption rate and bioavailability are high.
There are two main types of vegetarian soft gel capsules. One is pullulan, produced only of tapioca roots; the other is HPMC, made of cellulose.
I’ve highlighted the main distinctions between vegetarian soft gel capsules and gelatin in the table below.
| Gelatin Soft Gel Capsules | Non-Animal Soft Gel Capsules |
| Are composed of gelatin, an animal byproduct. | Composed of organic vegetable materials. |
| At 98.6°F (37°C), the dissolution of gelatin capsules slows down. | Melts easily in room temperature water. |
| Extremely sensitive to light. | Not sensitive to light. |
| Ideal for powdery and dry fill-in materials. | Perfect for materials with aldehydic groups, oils, and gels. |
| Contains a high amount of moisture, which reduces their stability. | Possess only 6–12% moisture content, which is low. They are, therefore, very unlikely to be impacted by extremely humid weather. |
| Production costs are reduced. | Higher production costs since extracting vegetable raw materials call for labor-intensive procedures. |
What And Where To Source Vegetarian Soft Gel Capsules Ingredients?
Alt: Pumpkin Seed Oil Capsules (Image from Amazon).
Even though non-animal soft gel formulations are still not as popular as gelatin ones, technological advancement is changing this scenario. Non-animal soft gels are manufactured using the same standard soft gel encapsulation machines.
Let’s study the different ingredients for making non-animal soft gel capsules.
Hypromellose
In vegetarian soft gel capsules, hypromellose—an abbreviation for hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)—is the primary ingredient. Thermal gelation is a feature of hypromellose. It indicates that the solution forms a semi-flexible mass when it reaches a critical temperature.
The most common source of hypromellose is wood pulp, especially from fir trees or cotton linter. A process known as etherification is used to extract the cellulose. Because hypromellose comes from raw natural materials, it is deemed safe for human ingestion.
HPMC comes in powder form and is off-white to beige in color.
Vegetable Starch
Some other non-animal soft gel capsules use vegetable starch as their main ingredient instead of hypromellose. Tapioca, sometimes referred to as cassava root, is the most widely used starch by manufacturers.
Glycerin and water are combined with the starch to create a liquid that readily forms a capsule. Carrageenan has been substituted by tapioca starch in vegetable soft gels. Because of its neutral flavor, tapioca starch is an excellent material to encapsulate various substances.
Pea starch is another vegetable becoming increasingly popular in the soft gel capsule industry. However, pea starch lacks gelling qualities. Hence, you might not get a uniform soft gel layer. Most manufacturers add a small amount of carrageenan to pea starch for the formulation to gel.
Vegan-Friendly Preservatives
Animal-based ingredients are not permitted in non-animal soft gel capsules. Thus, manufacturers use vegetarian preservatives that are more suitable for extending non-animal soft gels’ shelf life.
Potassium sorbate is one of the preservatives that is regarded as vegan. According to GRAS, it is a naturally occurring preservative that is Generally Recognized As Safe. Food-related mold and yeast growth are inhibited by potassium sorbate.
Preservatives such as sodium sorbate, calcium sorbate, sorbic acid, and benzoic acid are also suitable for vegan diets.
Active (Fill-in) Ingredients
The pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries primarily use vegetarian soft gel capsules. Nutrients and vitamins are the perfect elements to encapsulate.
- Omega-3: Although most people know that fish is the primary source of omega-3, plants also have sources. Other plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids are flaxseeds, chia seeds, and algae.
- Oils: A few oils can be made into soft gels and are nutritious. Virgin coconut, krill, evening primrose, and borage are a few oils that can function as active components.
- Vitamin D and E: Soft gels for vegetarians high in vitamin E are also gaining popularity. Vitamin D formulations can be combined with calcium and magnesium.
Other Materials
Soluble contents, gelling agents, flavorings, plasticizers, and colorings are additional ingredients that produce non-animal soft gel capsules. A common gelling substance used to create vegetarian soft gels is gellan gum.
Vegetarian soft gel capsules are a clear color in their natural state. Mix the vegan soft gel ingredients with some colorings for varied product colors.
Manufacturing Processes Of Non-Animal Soft Gel Capsules
Alt: JL-150III Soft Capsule Machine.
Many manufacturers of vegan soft gel capsules face challenges during the production process. Most non-animal soft gel capsules cannot accommodate some substances due to their physical properties. For example, certain powdered substances don’t mix well with an oil base.
Non-animal soft gel capsules require specialized machinery and technology for their production. At Jangli Equipment, we offer high-quality soft gel encapsulation machines to assist in the production of vegetarian soft gels.
The procedure to make non-animal soft gel capsules is as follows:
- Making the Vegan Outer Shells.
Depending on the formulation you wish to use, prepare the ingredients for creating the outer vegan soft gel shell. Mix tapioca starch or hypromellose with the other components. Heat the ingredients to a high temperature using the melting tank.
Transfer the molten mixture to the vegetable encapsulation machine’s hopper from the mixing and heating tanks. The mixture flows to the tooling system from the hopper to make the ribbon.
A ribbon forms on both sides of the tooling machine as the mixture flows along the machine in both directions.
- Prepare The Fill-In Substances
The fill material preparation comes next. Vegan soft gels for vegetarians can only be filled with pastes or oils. Tanks for processing, melting, and mixing are used in the formulation process. Place the fill material into a ground tank after it is ready.
- Encapsulate The Fill Material
Next, the filling mixture is fed into the soft gel encapsulation machine’s hopper. The rotary die method inserts the fill material into the vegetarian capsule.
The machine encapsulates the fill materials into the ribbons where the ribbons and fill materials meet. Subsequently, the ribbon is divided into separate pieces by the machine and placed onto the drying trays.
- Drying Process
The gel capsules are soft and slightly moist. They are then placed in a drying tunnel or tumble drier to remove moisture.
After that, the soft gel capsules are placed on stacking trays and taken to a drying facility with high-pressure air.
- Inspection
The capsules are ready for inspection after being in the drying room for 24-48 hours. Some manufacturers employ people to remove any damaged, non-filled, or malformed capsules manually. Others make use of a fully automatic soft gel sorting machine.
- Packaging And Shipping
The last stage before packaging is often cleaning and polishing the soft gel capsules to remove any extra material coatings or contaminants. After that, the capsules are labeled, packaged, and stored, ready for shipping.
You should store the vegan soft gel capsules in a cool place with minimal exposure to excess sunlight. Keep the storage area clean.
A demonstration of how the Jl-150III Softgel Encapsulation Machine for Vegetarian tapioca starch works.
What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages of Non-Animal Soft Gel Capsules
Although most producers favor making gelatin soft gel capsules, some have also begun manufacturing non-animal soft gel capsules. With a few exceptions, vegetarian soft gel capsules are nearly identical to gelatin capsules.
I’ve highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of non-animal soft gel capsules in the table below.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Non-animal soft gels have a low moisture content, which makes them chemically stable. That makes them ideal for products that require long-term storage and preservation. | Non-animal soft gel capsules have complicated formulations making their manufacturing process challenging. |
| The soft gels dissolve quickly after reaching the stomach. Therefore, they are easier to digest. | Lack of medical benefits commonly attributed to animal gelatin, such as help with joint issues. |
| Non-animal soft gel capsules are considered safer because there is little chance of spreading illnesses from animals, like bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad cow disease. | Not ideal for powdered formulations. |
| The vegan soft gels are 100% natural and non-toxic. | |
| They are appropriate for vegans and vegetarians since they contain no components derived from animals. | |
| Designed to accept a broad range of simple and complex fill materials. |
Applications of Non-Animal Soft Gel Capsules
Alt: A graph showing market research on the growth of sales of non-animal soft gel (Image from Market Research Intellect).
Vegan soft gel capsules are gaining traction in several sectors. Encapsulating nutrients such as vitamins, fatty acids, minerals, and herbs in vegan soft gels is an excellent option for nutraceutical supplements. Vegan soft gel capsules deliver beauty supplements in the cosmetics industry.
Vegan soft gel capsules are typically preferred over gelatin ones by consumers who are health-conscious and professional athletes. Due to its natural source, starch soft gel capsules are widely available. As a result, individuals with various medical conditions take them as dietary supplements.
The pharmaceutical industry still produces the majority of vegan soft gel capsules. This results from years of experience producing the capsules in big batches.
Conclusions
Although they are not as well-known as gelatin capsules, non-animal soft gel capsules are expected to gain market share. Soft gel capsules that are vegan are favored mostly because of dietary or religious constraints. But an increasing number of consumers prefer them.
Soft gel capsules can now be produced using vegetarian raw materials thanks to soft gel encapsulation machinery advancements. You can find a variety of soft gel encapsulation machines at Jangli Equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between gelatin and vegetarian capsules?
Collagen from animal bones, skin, and connective tissue is partially hydrolyzed to generate a mixture of proteins and peptides known as gelatin. It is a clear, solid substance that is practically tasteless, colorless, brittle, and odorless.
There are two varieties of vegetarian capsules. Pullulan mainly comes from tapioca roots, while HPMC is derived from cellulose. Vegetarians and vegans refuse to eat anything that contains animal gelatin.
- What is tapioca?
The starch known as tapioca is taken from the roots of the cassava plant, which grows primarily underground. You obtain cassava flour by grinding cassava. However, grinding its roots yields tapioca.
Tapioca is vegan since it is derived from plants. The ground cassava root is squeezed to release a starchy liquid. A fine powder of tapioca is left behind when water is allowed to evaporate.
Tapioca is used for making gluten- and wheat-free bread, flatbread, puddings, and desserts and as an ingredient in soft gel capsules. It is often used to thicken sauces, gravies, and soups.
Contact JANGLI HERE to learn more about or purchase Tapioca Starch for Softgel production
- How do you store vegan soft gels?
Keep in a cool location with temperatures between 58°F and 79°F (14°C and 26°C). The space shouldn’t have a humidity level higher than 60%. They should also not be exposed to hot water, intense heat, or direct sunshine.
Over time, exposure to heat, moisture, and light can cause the soft gel shells and fill-in materials to lose their quality. Ziplock bags or airtight containers are the best places to keep them.
