As the dietary supplement market becomes increasingly competitive, health-conscious consumers are scrutinizing labels more closely to assess how truly "natural" your product is. They’re asking: Are you using vegetarian capsules? Are these capsules Kosher or Halal-certified, non-GMO, and free from toxins, allergens, and heavy metals? And what about the color— is that natural too? By choosing K-CAPS® HPMC capsules with natural colorants, you can showcase your commitment to providing safer, more natural products, with the added assurance that your product’s color aligns with this message.
Here’s what you need to know about this unique and exciting capsule option…
What are natural colorants and what advantages do they offer?
As the name implies, natural colorants are colorants made from natural sources such as flowers and algae, rather than using synthetic sources. Natural colorants are gaining importance due to both health and environmental concerns.
The advantages of using natural colorants as the source of dyes in the empty capsules used to manufacture your products are all things that matter greatly to your core customers:
- Nutritional value – Unlike synthetic dyes, many natural pigments, such as beta-carotene found in algae, provide nutritional benefits. Beta-carotene is a source of vitamin A that is efficiently converted by the body without the risk of toxin accumulation in the liver, in addition to possessing antioxidant properties.
- Environmental friendliness – The production of natural dyes requires no harmful chemicals or pollutants. The effluents generated are biodegradable and can be reused for the manufacture of bioplastics, fodder and other products, thus contributing to a more circular and sustainable economy.
Do natural colorants work as well as synthetic colorants for HPMC capsules?
Yes! You can choose these colorants for your natural capsules with confidence that the performance will be the same. For CapsCanada’s K-CAPS this means
- Same opportunity to use color to differentiate your brand
- Same very high-quality pharmaceutical-grade HPMC
- Same consistently high capsule quality
- Same ability to withstand variations in temperature and humidity
- Same capsule shelf life
- Same masking properties
- Same excellent performance and high yields on your filling machines
What color natural colorants does CapsCanada offer?
K-CAPS® HPMC capsules are now available in the following colors:
Special considerations when choosing a color scheme for our capsules
Yes, definitely. While you can customize your K-CAPS® to use any color from the available palette, the choice of color must consider the market in which your products will be sold.
A key consideration is that, from a regulatory standpoint, there is no universal definition of "natural colorant". Definitions can vary significantly from country to country. For example, a green capsule colored with chlorophyllin, derived from a specific type of algae, may be considered "natural" in Germany, but not in the US.
This variability in regulation can influence how the use of natural colorants is presented on your product labels. It is important to ensure that the color scheme you choose complies with your target market's regulations and supports your clean label claims.
If your goal is to manufacture clean label products and you are not sure what is allowed in your end markets with respect to this claim, please do not hesitate to let us know. Our team of compliance experts is available to assist you. We will verify all relevant pharmacopeias and provide you with the necessary guidance to ensure that the natural colorants you use are officially classified as "natural".
Keep learning about capsule technology trends...
- Gelatin capsules vs. HPMC capsules: What are the differences?
- Why Liquid-Filled Hard Capsules May Be a Better Option than Softgels
- Flavored capsules: the next customization level
How will I know what colors will look like in use?
An additional consideration is that, being natural, the shades and hues of pigments may vary. For example, the color of annatto seeds or safflower flowers may differ slightly between samples. This may result in minor variations in the color of your products between different batches. If absolute color uniformity is crucial to your brand, synthetic colorants may be a better option.
If you are considering ordering K-CAPS® with natural pigments, our manufacturing facilities can prepare "filmstrips" for your review. Film strips are color samples made from the actual HPMC material used to manufacture the capsules. This will allow you to see exactly what the desired color will look like in your vegetarian capsules and evaluate their masking ability.
The bottom line is that CapsCanada is committed to supporting our customers' success. Allowing the use of natural colorants to make your product even more "natural" is just one example of how we achieve this.
