Veg-Caps Vegetable Capsule

Veggie Capsules: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Ready to learn more about veggie capsules?

Here is a complete guide that answers all questions you have been asking about vegetable capsules.

What are Veggie Capsules?

Veggie capsules are cylindrical type of containers with medical or nutritional inner fill materials.

You will, however, make the outer coating of the veggie capsules using vegetable and not animal products.

It makes the veggie capsules more suitable for vegetarians or people who follow strict kosha or halal diet.

Vegetable capsules

What are the Uses of the Veggie Capsules?

You will use the vegetable caps in wide varieties of applications such as:

• Administer drugs to the sick people who do not consume animal products in the medical industry.
• The pharmaceutical industries will package different active ingredients within veggie capsules for vegetarians who do not consume gelatin from animal products.
• You can use it as a suppository for rectal or vaginal applications since they have higher rates of dissolution.
• Veggie capsules are significant as delivery systems for packaging of beauty supplements in the cosmetics industry.
• You will use the veggie capsules in the nutraceutical industry to supply nutritional supplements such as minerals and herbs.

What are the Advantages of Using Veggie Capsule?

Veggie capsules are the best and only form of delivering medicine, nutrients and other particulars to vegetarians.

In addition to there are other benefits that you will experience by using the veggie capsules such as:

· Easy to Swallow

Veggie capsules are often very soft and will glide through your throat and into the stomach easily.

You may not need to use water or any other accompaniment to help in swallowing veggie capsules.

· Masks Horrible Smell and Taste

Veggie capsules have a sweet scent and taste that will usually mask the horrible taste of the active ingredients.

· High Stability Levels

Veggie capsules have very high levels of chemical stability with very low levels of moisture content.

Veggie capsules will remain firm and less brittle even in very low levels of humidity.

· Fast Dissolution Properties

As soon as the veggie capsules reach the right environment, they will dissolve very fast to release the active ingredients.

The high rate of dissolution also increases the rate of veggie capsule bioavailability.

· Variety of Capsules

Veggie capsules are available in different sizes thus allowing you to fill only the right dosage that you need.

· Aesthetic Appeal

Veggie capsules are attractive thus making it very simple to please or convince the consumer to consume medication.

· Quality Compliance

The main ingredient for making veggie capsules complies to the kosha, halal and even non- GMO quality requirements.

Do the Veggie Capsules Exhibit Any Disadvantages?

Yes, there are particular disadvantages which you might come across while using the veggie capsules.

Here are the main disadvantages of using the veggie capsules.

· High Manufacturing Cost

Manufacturing of veggie capsules often cost more than the cost of manufacturing gelatin capsules.

This is because the raw materials for making veggie capsules are not easy to find thus will cost a lot more.

· Challenge of Formulation

Formulating the veggie capsules also present a great challenge that only the manufacturers understand.

There are particular materials that do not blend well with the oil base, thus making the formulation process quite challenging.

· Encapsulation Difficulty

You will also experience great difficulty in the encapsulation process due to the physical characteristics of veggie capsules.

This complicates the whole procedure of manufacturing the veggie capsules.

How Do Veggie Capsule Compare to Gelatin Capsules?

 Gelatin capsules vs vegetable capsules

The main difference between the veggie capsules and the gelatin capsules is the main active ingredient.

You will use animal products such as gelatin as the main ingredient for making gelatin capsule coating.

On the other hand, you will use natural vegetarian ingredients such as tapioca to make the veggie capsules.

Apart from that, veggie capsules are not dependent on moisture content to maintain high levels of integrity.

Gelatin capsules, however, require a particular and constant moisture content to maintain its integrity.

Due to the low moisture content ranging between 2 to 3%, veggie capsules are less hygroscopic.

This increases the stability of the veggie capsules and makes it even more resistant to humid conditions.

In contract to veggie capsules, gelatin capsules are less stable as they have high moisture contents and humidity sensitive.

Veggie capsules are also not susceptible to problems such as cross linking which might occur in gelatin capsules.

Gelatin capsules are light sensitive in comparison to veggie capsules which do not have the effect of light sensitivity.

Veggie capsules have very high levels of oxygen permeability in comparison to the gelatin capsules with low oxygen permeability levels.

Implying that veggie capsules have very high levels of exposure to oxidation in comparison to gelatin capsules.

What are HPMC Veggie Capsules?

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose or hypromellose is a type of veggie capsule that you will produce chemically using cellulose polymers.

In this case, you will use polymers of cellulose that comes from different parts of plants.

What are the Advantages of Using the HPMC Veggie Capsules?

HPMC capsules have a couple of benefits which include:

 HPMC Capsules

• The main ingredient (cellulose polymer) has very high stability levels and resistance to humid and severe temperatures.
• Apart from that, the cellulose polymer makes the perfect combinations with moisture sensitive ingredients due to low moisture content.
• HPMC capsules protect the internal ingredients from alteration as well as damage by the external environmental factors.
• You can also use HPMC veggie capsules to deliver active ingredients to the right point due to the enteric properties.
• In addition to that. HPMC capsules are suitable for addressing poor bioavailability of the veggie capsules.

Which Types of Food Additives Can You Include in the HPMC Veggie Capsules?

There are particular food additives that you can include in HPMC veggie capsule formulation to assist in delivery of active ingredients.

Here are some of the food additives that you can include in the HPMC capsule formulations.

· Pullulan

You will derive pullulan from fungi growing on starch substrates fermented from tapioca plants.

· Gellan Gum

This is a water-soluble anionic polysaccharide that you can yield or get from a bacterium known as sphingomonas eledeafor.

What are Tapioca Veggie Capsules?

Tapioca capsules are types of capsules which you can make out of tapioca as the main ingredient.

It is a more natural type of veggie capsules which does not have numerous chemical derivatives.

Tapioca softgel capsules

What are the Benefits of Using the Tapioca Veggie Capsules?

It is the best alternative for gelatin capsules that use main ingredients from different animal products.

In comparison to other types of capsules, tapioca capsules are very clear and stickier.

Here are the main benefits that you will enjoy from using the tapioca capsules:

• It offers dietary benefits especially to vegetarian patients by delivering the right nutrients and active ingredients.
• It does not have gluten, starch or preservatives that may not be healthy to particular consumers.
• Tapioca capsules meet the cultural needs as well dietary requirements of different consumers without side effects.
• It is the most suitable capsules that has halal, kosher and vegetarian certificates of compliance and safety.
• It has very high luster properties thus making the complementary or attractive inner fill materials appealing to the human eye.
• It also has a crystal-like appearance which evokes the perfect natural image.

Which Features Make Tapioca Veggie Capsules Better?

Tapioca capsules are better in comparison to other types of capsules due to:

• High Purity Levels
• Easy to formulate
• High levels of stability

How Do Soft Veggie Capsules Compare to Hard Veggie Capsules?

Just from the names, you will realize that the main difference between the two types of capsules is texture.

The soft texture in hard gelatin capsules is as a result of ingredient additives such as plasticizers which make them softer.

On the other hand, hard veggie capsules do not have the plasticizer ingredient thus making them harder.

Apart from that, you can only fill liquid, suspension and oily substances in soft veggie capsules.

Hard veggie capsules are the most suitable capsules for filling powder, tablets, granules and even pellets. s

Which Type of Ingredients Can I Fill Inside the Veggie Capsules?

You can fill different types of active ingredients inside the veggie capsules.

Some of the ingredients that you can fill within the vegie capsules include:

• Powders
• Pellets
• Granules
• Tablets
• Oils
• Suspensions
• Semi-solids

What are the Main Ingredients for Making Veggie Capsules?

You already know that the main ingredients you will use in making veggie capsules are derivatives of plants.

Among the plant derivatives include hypromellose or tapioca which comes from different types of plants.

Apart from the two, the other ingredients that you will need include:

• Preservatives that are vegetarian friendly for increasing the veggie capsule shelf-life.
• Water or soluble contents that you will use in the dissolution of the different ingredients.
• Gelling agents such as Gellan gum to delay the dissolution period.
• Color material for increasing the aesthetic value of the capsule
• Opacifiers for making the shades of the veggie capsules darker.
• Flavor that will improve the taste of the capsules
• Plasticizers which make them increasingly flexibles

What are the Main Formulations for Making Soft Veggie Capsules?

Veggie capsules are suitable for filling nutritional supplements and pharmaceutical drugs.

Apart from that, you can use it to fill other formulations which include:

• Omega 3 Formulations

It is a very common formulation which improves cognitive function, heart health and anti-aging properties.

• Vitamin E

It has antioxidant properties for anti-aging and heart health applications.

• Vitamin D

You will pair vitamin D formulations with magnesium and calcium making them suitable for improving bone health.

• Flaxseed Oil Formulations
• Virgin Coconut Oil Formulations

Which Type of Machines Do You Use in Making Veggie Capsules?

Well, you will use different types of machine depending on the type of veggie you intend to make.

Here are the main types of machines that you can make using the veggie capsules.

• Veggie Encapsulation machine
• Heating and Mixing Tank
• Drying Tray and Tunnels
• Veggie Capsule Sorting Machine
• Veggie Capsule Printing Machine
• Tamping Pin or Dosator Veggie Capsule Filling Machine

What is the Manufacturing Process of Empty SoftVeggie Capsules?

It is important to understand the manufacturing process of veggie capsules for proper management.

Here is a step by step process that you can follow when manufacturing the veggie empty capsules.

1) Preparation Stage

First, you will prepare the ingredients that you will use in manufacturing the outer shell of the veggie capsules.

Preparation of the ingredients, will involve proper mixing of all the ingredients to make a homogenous mixture.

Note that you will mix the ingredients for making the shell and the fill materials separately.

Apart from that, you need to consider the proportions of ingredients that you mix at every interval.

In addition to mixing the shell making ingredients, you will heat the mixture for about 3 hours.

This will melt the ingredients into a homogenous solution.

You will have an easy time mixing the oils and liquid filling materials for the veggie capsules.

2) Making of the Outer Shell

There are various methods that you can employ in making the veggie capsule shells depending on the type.

Here, we are going to look at the process of making the soft veggie capsule shells.

The molten mixture will move from the mixing and heating tanks and onto the hopper of the veggie encapsulation machine.

From the hopper, the molten materials will flow to the tooling system which will flatten and form the ribbon.

This action usually occurs on both sides of the machine resulting in a ribbon on the left and the right side of the machine.

3) Encapsulating the Fill Materials

The third step involves wrapping the fill materials into the ribbons from the right and left side.

Implying that the fill materials and the ribbons will meet and the machine will encapsulate the fill materials into the ribbons.

After that, it will cut them into individual pieces and transport them to the drying trays.

4) Drying Process

Once on the drying trays, you will transport them to the tumble dryer or the drying tunnels.

Here, you will set the machine to get rid of the excess moisture from the veggie capsule.

After that, you will pass the veggie capsules through the capsule sorting machine to sort them out.

It will get rid of the veggie capsules that do not meet the right specifications for production.

Finally, it will pass through the capsule printing machine for labeling of the capsules before storage.

How Do You Make the Hard Veggie Capsules?

The process of making hard veggie capsules is, however, not the same as the process of making soft veggie capsules.

You will begin with preparing the ingredients well, and then proceed as in the following steps.

 Two piece capsules manufacturing process

1. Preparing the Ingredients

First, you will have to prepare all the ingredients and mix them in proper proportions in the heating and mixing tank.

It usually takes the machine about 3 hours to properly blend, heat and melt the ingredients to proper standards.

After that, you will transfer the molten ingredients into the hopper of the veggie capsule making machine.

The hopper has heating elements which will maintain the temperature of the molten ingredients.

2. Making the Outer Shell

The second step in this process involves dipping the pins into the molten ingredients.

Usually, the machine has numerous pins which it rotates inside the molten ingredients until the back is thick enough.

After that, it will remove the pins from the mixture maintaining the rotation mode for proper distribution.

As that happens, you will pass a stream of drying air which will solidify the molten ingredients on the pins.

Finally, you will cut the solid part into two thus making the cap and the body before scrapping it off from the pins.

3. Filling the Hard Veggie Capsules

You can either use the dosator capsule filling machine or the tamping pin capsule machine.

It involves arranging the body of the capsules strategically them filling them with the right amount of filling materials.

After that, you will fill the body with the right amounts of inner fill materials.

You have to ensure that you compress them well before covering and discharging the whole hard veggie capsules.

Are Veggie Capsules Better than the Gelatin Capsules?

Despite being costly, veggie capsules usually offer more benefits than the gelatin capsules.

This makes the veggie capsule better than the gelatin capsules.

Veggie capsules have low hygroscopy as well as moisture contents and will stand out as being very stable.

Despite the difference, both veggie and gelatin capsules will dissolve well at the human body temperatures.

You can fill different types of fill materials in veggie capsules which is not possible with gelatin capsules.

Why are Veggie Capsules Difficult to Swallow?

Due to the physical properties of the veggie properties, it might become quite difficult to swallow.

In many cases, the veggie capsules will remain floating in the mouth when you try washing it down with water.

It is, however, a very rare condition that happens in very few individuals thus eliminating the worry.

How Long Does It Take for the Veggie Capsules to Dissolve in the Body?

It will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes for the veggie capsules to dissolve in the body.

The time will, however, vary according to the type of veggie capsules you swallow.

There are those veggie capsules with enteric properties that will delay the absorption till it reaches the right environment.

What are the Factors that Affect the Dissolution of the Veggie Capsules?

Speaking of the environment, there are particular external factors that will influence the dissolution rate such as:

· Humidity

The higher the humidity in the environment, the higher the rates of capsule dissolution.

Humidity will increase the compatibility rates of the veggie capsules thus increasing the dissolution rates.

· Stomach pH

The pH of the gastrointestinal tract plays a huge role in the dissolution of the veggie capsules.

There are particular types of veggie capsules which will dissolve in low pH while others in high pH.

For instance, veggie capsules with enteric properties will dissolve in the duodenum with high pH levels.

· Capsule Coating

The type and size of capsule coating will have a great influence on the dissolution rate of the veggie capsules.

The bigger or thicker the capsule coating, the slower the rates of dissolution.

· Capsule Content

Larger capsule contents will dissolve slower than the smaller capsule contents due to surface area exposure.

The wider the surface area exposure, the higher the rate of dissolution of the veggie capsules.

What are the Different Sizes of Veggie Capsules Available in the market?

Depending on cell density, veggie capsules usually exist in different sizes ranging from 000 to 5.

Size 000 is often the biggest of the veggie capsules while size 5 is often the smallest.

Here is a table that will guide you through the different sizes of veggie capsules.

Different sizes of empty capsules

Which Quality Standards Must Veggie Capsules Adhere to?

To maintain high quality standards and safety, the veggie capsules must adhere to particular quality standards.

Here are the main quality standards that the veggie capsule must adhere to:

• Food and Drug Administration Quality Standards (FDA)
• CE Quality Standards
• World Health Organization Guidelines (WHO)
• European Medicines Agency
• Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Agency

How Do You Store Empty Veggie Capsules?

To increase the durability of the veggie capsules, you must store them in appropriate storage conditions.

The conditions for storing veggie capsules will vary according to the type of materials for making the veggie capsules.

The main conditions that you must adhere to for proper storage include:

• Maintaining the original veggie capsule packaging
• Limit exposure of the veggie capsules to harsh temperatures.

You must store the veggie capsules in cool dry place with very minimal exposure to excess sunlight.

Apart from that, you must do proper maintenance of the stores to ensure that they are clean.

Are Veggie Capsule Safe?

Absolutely, veggie capsules are very safe for you to consume.

In fact, it is the safest of all the capsules since it comes from naturally occurring raw materials such as plants.

This makes it the most appropriate type of capsules for people with very strict diets with no animal products.

At SaintyCo, we offer a turnkey solution for all your capsule filling and processing needs.

Whether you need complete solutions for vegetable or gelatin capsules, SaintyCo will help you skyrocket your business.