Capsugel, a global leader in innovative dosage forms and solutions for the healthcare industry, announced that it has been awarded Vegan certification for four capsules in its portfolio of vegetarian capsules. The capsules are Vcaps®, Vcaps® Plus, DRcaps™, and Plantcaps™ capsules.

“The Vegan certification is enthusiastically welcomed for our plant-based dosage forms. It is an expansion of the appeal of our plant-based capsules into a very targeted niche in the booming life-style driven market with its wide variety of health, dietary, and cultural requirements,” said Pete Zambetti, global director of business development for health and nutrition for Capsugel.  

The plant-based capsules are already free of additives, preservatives, allergens, starch, and gluten as well as non-GMO and Kosher and Halal certified and approved by the Vegetarian Society. “The demand for Vegan certification is growing. This is a group of customers for whom core values drive purchase decisions,” added Zambetti.

“In addition, by having our empty vegetarian capsules certified Vegan, we also can help our supplement manufacturing customers expedite their process of applying for Vegan certification for their finished products. This can help them enhance the attractiveness of their products in this ever-growing market as well.”   

In the United States, 35 percent of supplement users say that a vegetarian or non-animal source is important when choosing a supplement, up from 26 percent in 2006; this market segment is among the most frequent users of supplements.  In a recent study of supplement users in Europe, more than 45 percent said they would be more likely to purchase a supplement if they knew it was in a vegetarian, plant-based capsule. Of the 70 million shoppers currently seeking vegetarian products–a market growing at a rate of 9 percent annually—69 percent agree that regular supplement intake offers benefits.  

“They prefer supplements from non-animal sources and delivering them in a vegetarian capsule boosts the intrinsic merit of the entire package,” Zambetti elaborated.   

 Made of pullulan, Plantcaps capsules are derived from tapioca and are a water-soluble polysaccharide produced through a natural fermentation process. These capsules offer the best oxygen barrier of all plant-based products, masking pungent odors and protecting sensitive ingredients. Organic supplement manufacturers in the United States using Plantcaps benefit from “Made with Organic Ingredients” labeling when delivering organic ingredients. 

The low-moisture Vcaps capsule, the world’s best-selling HPMC capsule, is great for moisture-sensitive ingredients like hygroscopic fills and dry herbal products. The Vcaps Plus capsule provides the same benefit with enhancements like a high-gloss appearance, color choices, and quick dissolution—100 percent in 30 minutes or less.

The slow-dissolving DRcaps capsule protects ingredients for at least 30 minutes in the stomach’s pH of 1.2, fully opening at an intestinal pH of 6.8, without costly enteric coatings—ideal for probiotics and enzymes.

With this certification, a company profile of Capsugel has been added to Vegan Action’s website directory at vegan.org/certify/companies-and-websites.