As a truly versatile excipient, gelatin can be tailored to provide capsules with a broad spectrum of specific attributes. From rapid release in the stomach to enteric release for fills with an unpleasant aftertaste, GELITA’s Release Profile Portfolio enables soft capsule manufacturers to define the timing and location of fill release. In addition, specific capsule gelatins reduce cross-linking behavior in the capsule and enhance shelf-life stability.

Keen to promote a creative environment and develop ideas, GELITA has implemented a culture of integral innovation that enables every one of its 2500 employees to contribute to the company’s success. Continuous development in every business area is GELITA’s driving force and a key element of such success. Why? Because every innovation starts with just one thought. Or sometimes just a coincidence…

As soon as a product is labeled as "vegetarian" or "vegan," consumers immediately get the impression that there’s something inherently good or natural about it, or that it’s somehow better for their health. However, the recent discussions about vegetarian meat substitutes have shown that this is not necessarily true. Such is the case for HPMC hard capsules. They’re vegan, made from cellulose fiber and therefore regarded as natural. The use of HPMC hard capsules is not just a bonus for vegetarians and vegans, it's also great news for the many consumers who avoid animal products — as long as there’s no perceived disadvantages compared with the animal-based original.

Food companies strive to produce high-quality and safe foods. These are laudable aspirations and the cornerstones of business success. Yet, there’s another element of quality in the food industry that’s becoming increasingly important to consumers: responsibility and a commitment to ethical values.

Everyone knows the situation: just before an important meeting or presentation, you’re floored by summer flu. As a consumer, you want rapid results and immediate relief. That means that, as well as a fast-acting active, it’s important that the ingredient can be released as quickly as possible to reach its site of action at full speed. Even the fastest active ingredient is only as quick as its release profile.

If you work with soft capsules in the pharmaceutical industry, then you’ll know that cross-linking can occur in certain temperature and humidity conditions, especially with reactive and aggressive fillings. The gelatin can unintentionally form a rigid barrier that prevents the active ingredient within the capsule from reaching its destination at the right time (or at all). If this happens soft capsules become increasingly less soluble over time, resulting in overly long dissolution times in the GI tract and slow release properties.