The level of vitamins and minerals in food is not always enough, so consider taking a multivitamin supplement to ensure you get all the nutrients you need.
Now, you might be wondering how these supplements are made. Of course, there are different vitamin supplements on the market, and the raw material used varies depending on the ingredients supplier. Regardless, they are all made similarly.
Here’s a guide to how vitamin supplements are manufactured.
1. Formulation and Preliminary Checking
Manufacturers formulate their products by deciding on the amounts of each vitamin and mineral to be included. They also have to decide the form the vitamins will take, such as whether they will be in tablet or capsule form or coated or uncoated.
Once the manufacturers have completed the product formulation, they will place an order with an ingredients supplier for the needed raw materials. The supplier will then issue the manufacturers a bill for the materials. They’ll give a Certificate of Analysis, which details the assay and purity of the material.
2. Pre-blending and Wet Granulation
After checking all the materials, it is time to experiment and take a small representative sample of each material to run some simple tests. This will help manufacturers determine if there are any problems with the materials and how they will need to blend them.
If everything works out, the process will move on to the next step: pre-blending. This is where the manufacturer will combine all materials in the correct ratios. The ingredients will be in a liquid form.
Once everything is blended, the manufacturer will need to granulate the mixture. This is done by forcing the wet ingredients through a screen or mesh, which will create small granules.
3. Drying and Coating
Now that the manufacturer has the granules, they need to dry them. They can do this in many ways, such as using a heating chamber, a fluid bed dryer, or an oven.
Once the granules are dried, they need to sieve and coat them. Several different coatings, such as shellac, vegetable oil, and beeswax, can be used. Remember, the coating will help to protect the vitamins and minerals from the environment and will also help to improve their appearance, so choose wisely.
4. Packaging
The last step is to package the products. Of course, the manufacturer must carefully plan how many tablets or capsules they will need to fill each packaging container beforehand.
If they are using a tablet press, they will need to place a spacer between each tablet to ensure they do not stick together. They can also use a coating agent to give the tablets a smooth finish. Capsule fillers usually come with a tamper-evident seal, which helps ensure the products’ safety and freshness.
Once the tablets are coated, they are inspected to ensure they meet all the requirements. They are then packaged and shipped to the customer.
Final Thoughts
Vitamin supplements are a growing industry, and it is important to know how they are manufactured to make an informed decision about which products to purchase.
MTC Industries is a reputable and trustworthy raw ingredient supplier of novel and standard components for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food/beverage, and nutritional supplement industries. Request a sample from us today!