With the growing interest in “natural” products, nutritional supplement manufacturers are turning to two-piece HPMC capsules with natural colorants. Products offer everything consumers are looking for: Vegan registration, Kosher and Halal certification, and a long list of things the capsules are free of, including GMOs, common allergens, starches, preservatives, synthetic dyes and titanium dioxide.
Before we dive into the subject, let's understand the benefits and challenges of using these capsules:
Benefits of HPMC capsules made with natural colorants
On the positive side, these capsules offer nutraceutical brands some significant advantages:
- Meet Consumer Demand: Satisfy customers by offering exactly what they seek.
- Support Clean Label Claims: Capsules are made with natural colorants, avoiding synthetic chemicals and promoting a “clean” product image.
- Prioritize Health: The natural pigments used are free from harmful substances, ensuring they are safe for consumption and meet high health standards.
- Offer a Wide Range of Colors: The most popular options include yellow, purple, green, blue, and black. If you’re not sure which color to choose, be sure to ask your capsule manufacturer to prepare “film strips” for your review. These are color samples made from the actual HPMC material used to manufacture the capsules. Film strips enable you to see what your desired color looks like and let you test its masking abilities.
- Maintain Functionality: These HPMC capsules offer the same solubility curve, shelf life, and performance as those with synthetic colorants.
Get to know the CapsCanada's natural colorants
Challenges of HPMC capsules made with natural colorants
All of that said, there are some potential concerns you need to be aware of. These capsules:
- Color variability – Since pigments are derived from natural sources, shades or hues may vary from batch to batch. In addition, as illustrated in the table above of capsules colored with annatto, there may be several shades associated with the same ingredient. Do not assume that a capsule made by one manufacturer with a specific natural colorant will have the same color as a capsule made with the same natural colorant by another manufacturer.
- May fade – Some natural colorants will fade when exposed to UV or IR light for periods of time. You can mitigate this issue with your product packaging.
- May cost more – This is due to the higher cost of the raw ingredients.
- Are not always available – In some cases, product availability depends on the season. You can mitigate this risk by purchasing a one-year supply at a time.
- May not meet regulatory requirements – A colorant that one country’s regulatory agency considers to be “natural” may not be considered “natural” in another country. For example, capsules made with chlorophyllin cannot be labeled as “natural” for the U.S. market, even though they can be labeled as “natural” elsewhere.
Are natural colorant capsules right for your products?
Are natural colorants capsules suitable for your products? Natural dye capsules offer a cleaner, greener alternative to synthetic dyes, enhancing your product's appeal with vibrant, natural tones. They can be a great choice if you are targeting health-conscious consumers or if you want to align with sustainable practices. However, it is important to consider factors such as those mentioned above. If you decide to move forward and need a trusted North American supplier of high quality HPMC capsules made with natural colorants, CapsCanada is here for you.