Manufacturing Trends in the Nutraceutical Industry
Key Trends Shaping Softgel Manufacturing
Here are key industry trends shaping soft gel operations in the nutraceutical industry. The demand for non-animal capsules has significantly transformed the market, with plant-based capsules moving from a niche product to a mainstream preference.
1. In-House Manufacturing
Brand owners are increasingly bringing production in-house to strengthen control over product quality, lead times, and proprietary formulations. This shift reflects a growing desire to protect intellectual property and ensure supply continuity, particularly for innovation-driven nutraceutical and pharmaceutical companies.
Compact soft gel equipment options are enabling smaller operations to establish GMP-compliant production without the large facilities and infrastructure once required. These modular systems occupy less space, simplify operations, and enhance agility—allowing manufacturers to manage quick changeovers during production and formulation updates while maintaining consistency and compliance (Pharma Manufacturing, 2023).
2. Personalized Nutrition
The rise of personalized nutrition is transforming expectations for soft gel manufacturing equipment, particularly in the nutraceutical sector, where targeted health solutions and specialized formulations continue to gain momentum (Nutrition Business Journal, 2023).
As consumers demand wellness products tailored to specific health goals, equipment manufacturers are being challenged to deliver systems capable of handling a wide range of formulations and fill materials. Modern soft gel equipment is now engineered for flexibility across both plant-based and gelatin (animal-derived) film systems, allowing producers to meet evolving consumer preferences and regulatory requirements.
This adaptability supports a broad range of fills—from omega oils and botanical extracts to micronutrients and proprietary blends—across nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.
3. Sustainability and Low-Carbon Footprint
Sustainability has become a core expectation in manufacturing practices. Nutraceutical producers are prioritizing lower-carbon footprint equipment and exploring alternatives that reduce environmental impact without compromising performance.
Industry outlooks emphasize that sustainability and decarbonization initiatives are now central to long-term manufacturing competitiveness (Coykendall et al., 2023).
New-generation soft gel equipment is increasingly designed with efficiency in mind, offering compact footprints that minimize downtime, improve operational efficiency, and reduce energy consumption.
4. Next-Generation Adaptability
Soft gel capsule diversity continues to expand as new formulations and delivery systems enter the market, including plant-based alternatives. Manufacturers require equipment capable of adapting quickly to different viscosities, capsule shapes, and fill compositions (Euromonitor International, 2024).
Next-generation soft gel machines address this need through modular designs with interchangeable tooling and customizable process parameters. Systems incorporating TES VGen metering technology enable seamless transitions between plant-based and gelatin (animal-derived) formulations.
This adaptability allows producers to remain responsive to formulation changes and innovation while maintaining production efficiency. Machine adaptability also extends to quick changeovers and PLC-based control of critical production parameters.
5. Digital Technology Integration
In today’s fast-paced manufacturing environment, the demand for high-quality output continues to rise. As soft gel manufacturing advances, automation and digital technology integration have become essential for maintaining competitiveness in global markets (Coykendall et al., 2023).
Digital technology has become foundational to modern soft gel manufacturing. In 2000, Technophar pioneered the introduction of servo-motor technology to replace mechanical gearing in soft gel machines, transforming production capabilities.
Servo-driven systems enable precise, automated adjustments to pump timing and ribbon feed rates while reducing downtime and increasing production rates. When combined with digital control systems and PLC-based real-time monitoring, manufacturers achieve greater accuracy, consistency, and process control (Technophar, 2024).
As soft gel manufacturing grows more complex and the demand for high-quality output increases, automation and equipment integrating digital technology are no longer optional.
Conclusion
Soft gel manufacturing in the nutraceutical industry is undergoing a significant transformation. In-house production, personalized nutrition, sustainability, next-generation adaptability, and digital technology integration are no longer isolated trends—together, they are helping to define the future of competitive, resilient manufacturing.
References
- Coykendall, J., Hardin, K., & Morehouse, J. (2023, October 30). 2024 manufacturing industry outlook. Deloitte Insights.
https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/manufacturing/manufacturing-industry-outlook-2024.html - Euromonitor International. (2024). Dietary supplements: Innovation in delivery systems and capsule formats.
https://www.euromonitor.com/dietary-supplements - Nutrition Business Journal. (2023). Personalized nutrition: Market growth, formats, and delivery systems.
https://www.nutritionbusinessjournal.com/market-research/personalized-nutrition - Pharma Manufacturing. (2023). How compact systems are revolutionizing GMP pharmaceutical production.
https://www.pharmamanufacturing.com/facilities/plant-operations/article/21273934/how-compact-systems-are-revolutionizing-gmp-production - Technophar Equipment & Services (2007) Ltd. (2024). TES™ VGen metering system: Technical overview.
https://www.technophar.com/softgel-encapsulation-systems
