Gelatin:
Most capsules are made of gelatin. Gelatin is widely used in many foods such as puddings, sweets, candied fruit, chewy candy, icing, whipped cream toppings, and dips. There is a popular consumer product called Jell-O® gelatin. In food applications, gelatin acts as a gel, thickening, stabilizing, and aerating, and is a very popular, nutrient-rich, fat-free ingredient. Due to its hypoallergenic and water-absorbing properties, gelatin is also widely used in many daily necessities such as cosmetics and toiletries. Gelatin is a water-soluble protein extracted from collagen, which is the main natural protein component in connective tissue. Gelatin can be extracted from its collagen by treating the hides and bones in a controlled extraction process. There are many types of gelatin. Capsules are made of pharmaceutical grade gelatin that meets the stringent requirements of the US Pharmacopoeia and other international agencies setting standards for the materials required for pharmaceutical production.
In addition to gelatin, capsules can also be made from non-animal materials to meet the special requirements of a variety of cultures and diets, including vegetarians and diet-conscious patients. Pullulan and hypromellose are two non-animal derived capsule materials.
Pullulan:
Pullulan is a water-soluble polysaccharide produced by fermentation, and its safety has been widely recognized by national regulatory agencies. It has been used in commercial production for more than 25 years and is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
HPMC:
Hypromellose (HPMC) is extracted from cellulosic feedstock and is used worldwide.
HPMC has been widely adopted in the production and packaging of medicine, cosmetics and healthcare drugs. FDA has granted it as G.R.A.S.
HPMC is vegetable cellulose derivative approved by the Food & Drug Administration all over the world. Its contents are non-toxic chemicals.
Healsee is specialized in producing HPMC capsules, as the largest manufacturer of HPMC vegetable capsules in China, Healsee distributes vegetarian capsules through worldwide warehouses.
