Softgel Manufacturer in Europe: Sizes, Fills, Process

Pharma Manufacture makes private label softgels at its own factory in Mārupe, Latvia, in the European Union, in four oval sizes, #3, #8, #10 and #20, with a shell of gelatin, glycerin and water around an oil-based fill. A ready-made softgel from the catalogue of 350 formulas has its minimum set by the softgel size and the fill and quoted within 24 hours, and production takes from four weeks, about eight weeks for a typical run, counted from a confirmed order and technical brief. Every batch is tumbled, dried for 12 hours in a wind-tunnel room and polished, then released from quarantine with a Certificate of Analysis.

Parameter	Pharma Manufacture softgels
Factory	“Kargo k-1”, Mārupe, LV-2167, Latvia, EU; softgels produced on site
Sizes in production	Oval #3, #8, #10 and #20
Shell	Gelatin, glycerin and water
Fill	Oil-based formulas, such as omega-3 or vitamin D3
After encapsulation	Tumbling, 12 hours of drying in a wind-tunnel room, polishing
Release	Quarantine, microbiological testing, heavy metals limit control, metal detection, Certificate of Analysis
Packing	PET bottles 100–500 ml in seven colours, glass bottles, blisters with printed carton, zip-lock bags
Minimum order	Set by the softgel size and the fill, quoted within 24 hours; a custom formula starts higher
Lead time	From 4 weeks; about 8 weeks for a typical run
Certificates	GMP-FS-01 and HACCP-01, valid to 17 May 2027; ISO 22000:2018 MSC-22-1384, valid to 7 January 2029

Softgels are ordered through the tablets, capsules and softgels page, where the formulas and the request form sit. This article answers what buyers ask before they get there.

Key Takeaways

A softgel is the form for an oil: Pharma Manufacture’s softgel machines are designed for oil-containing capsules, and a dry powder blend goes into a hard capsule.

Every batch goes through the same sequence after encapsulation: tumbling, 12 hours in a wind-tunnel room, polishing, quarantine and release.

The shell is gelatin, so a vegan oil product changes form before it changes formula.

Each released batch ships with a Certificate of Analysis, and the batch number and expiry date on the pack lead back to it.

What is a softgel, and how is it different from a hard capsule?

A softgel, or soft gelatin capsule, is a shell of gelatin, glycerin and water formed around an oil-based fill. A hard capsule is a gelatin or HPMC shell filled with powder. Pharma Manufacture runs both on separate equipment, and the fill usually decides which one a product needs.

Hard capsules are filled on an IMA PRACTICA 100, which doses powders, granules or pellets, then pass a de-dusting machine that discards any capsule below the weight limit. Softgels are made on machines designed for oil-containing capsules, from shell and fill mixtures blended separately, and spend a full drying cycle before packing.

	Hard capsule	Softgel
Shell	Gelatin, or HPMC for vegan formulas	Gelatin, glycerin and water
Fill	Powders, granules or pellets	Oil-based formulas
Sizes at Pharma Manufacture	#1, #0, #00	Oval #3, #8, #10, #20
Step after filling	De-dusting and sorting; under-weight capsules discarded	Tumbling, 12 hours in a wind-tunnel room, polishing
Vegan option	HPMC shell	Gelatin shell; a vegan product changes form
Packing and release	Bottles, blisters, zip-lock bags; quarantine and Certificate of Analysis	The same lines and the same release

What a softgel costs you beyond the price is fixed process time: the drying room and the polishing step apply to every batch, whatever its size. What that means for a first order is covered in which supplement form starts with the smallest order.

Which fills go into a private label softgel?

Oils. Pharma Manufacture’s softgel sizes all suit oil-based formulations such as omega-3 or vitamin D3, and the ready-made softgels in the catalogue are fish oils, plant oils and fat-soluble vitamins carried in oil.

Fish oils: Omega 3 Fish Oil Softgel capsules; Omega-3 fish oil 500 mg + vitamin E; Omega-3 fish oil 1000 mg + vitamin E; Fish oil 33/22 + Vit. D3 + Vit. K2 + Vit. E.
Oil blends: Omega 3-6-9 Softgel capsules.
Plant oils: Flaxseed Oil 1000 mg; Pumpkin oil + Vitamin E; Evening Primrose Oil.
Vitamins in oil: Vitamin D3 1000 IU, 2000 IU and 4000 IU.
Other oil-based fills: Lecithin 1200 mg + Vit. E.

Two published specifications show what a fill looks like on paper. The Omega-3 fish oil 1000 mg + vitamin E softgel is fish oil with DL-alpha tocopheryl acetate, with an omega-3 content of not less than 30 %: 18 % EPA and 12 % DHA. The Omega 3+6+9 1000 mg capsule blends 400 mg of fish oil, 300 mg of linseed oil and 290 mg of sunflower oil, with DL-alpha-tocopherol as the antioxidant.

These are working titles of catalogue formulas. The name and any claims on your pack are chosen by your brand under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, and the brand answers for them.

What softgel sizes does Pharma Manufacture produce?

Four, all oval: #3, #8, #10 and #20. These are the softgel sizes currently in production, and all four are suited to oil-based formulations.

The size follows the fill: how much oil one serving needs, and whether the daily amount is one softgel or two. A formula you bring is matched to a size in the formula calculation. If the daily amount does not fit one softgel, the options are a larger size, two softgels per serving or another form, and each is priced separately. A shape outside the four is a custom project rather than a catalogue order.

How are softgels manufactured at Pharma Manufacture?

In six steps, from laboratory-tested raw materials to a released batch, all at the plant in Mārupe: softgels are produced at Pharma Manufacture rather than subcontracted.

Raw materials are tested. Every raw material is sampled and tested in the laboratory against its specification before use.
Shell and fill are blended separately. Gelatin, glycerin and water make the shell mixture; the fill ingredients are blended on their own. In-process samples confirm the blend is uniform, and blending may include additional filtration steps.
Encapsulation. Both mixtures move to the softgel workshop, where machines designed for oil-containing capsules form the shell around the fill.
Tumbling. Newly formed softgels are tumbled to remove excess moisture.
Drying. The softgels spend 12 hours in a wind-tunnel room.
Polishing and release. Dried softgels are polished to remove surface residue and improve their appearance. The batch then waits in quarantine until microbiological testing and heavy metals limit control clear it, and passes metal detection.

Ingredients and finished products are stored in temperature-controlled rooms, with separate zones for different temperature requirements.

Steps four to six are the fixed part. A small batch and a large one spend the same 12 hours in the drying room, so a softgel schedule is planned around the drying cycle as well as the run.

Gelatin softgel or vegan capsule: what does the shell decide?

The softgel shell at Pharma Manufacture is gelatin, glycerin and water, so a softgel product is not vegan. If an oil-based product has to be vegan, the form question comes before the formula question.

For a vegan product the choice moves to hard capsules, which Pharma Manufacture fills in plant-based HPMC as well as gelatin, in sizes #1, #0 and #00. For vitamin D3 the catalogue has other starting points: Vit. D3 4000 IU + K2 100 mcg tablets, effervescent vitamin D3 and vitamin D3 drops. The vegan status of the finished product is then confirmed for a specific formula on request.

Halal is decided at batch level: Pharma Manufacture makes halal supplements on request for a specific batch, and for a softgel the shell is the first ingredient question.

How are private label softgels packed?

In PET bottles of 100 to 500 ml, glass bottles, blisters with a printed carton or zip-lock bags. Softgels run on the same blister and counting lines as tablets and hard capsules.

PET bottles: 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400 and 500 ml, in blue, amber, red, clear, cream white, white opaque and green. The Cremer CF 1220 counts softgels into bottles 40 to 200 mm tall and 20 to 110 mm in diameter, glass or plastic, at a rated 55 bottles per minute.
Blisters: formed, filled and sealed on an Uhlmann B 1240, whose forming depth of up to 24 mm covers softgels. The film is PVC, PVC/PVDC, PVC/Aclar or alu-alu; alu-alu gives the highest protection against moisture and light. Cartons are closed on an IMA IC 150, from 28 × 12 × 55 mm to 92 × 60 × 190 mm.
Zip-lock bags: the flexible format in the same range.

Shelf life is set per formula and pack. Packing materials come with an EU Certificate of Conformity and a quality analysis certificate for each batch of material. The formats are on the packing solutions page, and the machines with their makers’ data on the equipment page.

Which documents come with each softgel batch?

A Certificate of Analysis for the released batch. The same release applies to a stock formula in a standard bottle and to a custom softgel; order size does not change it.

Traceability: the batch number and expiry date on the blister and the carton link each pack to its batch and its Certificate of Analysis. Samples of every batch are kept for the product’s entire shelf life and at least three years, manufacturing data for 10 years.
Plant certificates: GMP-FS-01 and HACCP-01, valid to 17 May 2027, and ISO 22000:2018 MSC-22-1384, valid to 7 January 2029, issued by BM Certification SIA, Riga, accredited by LATAK under No. S2-564. Their printed scope is food supplements in tablet, capsule and powder form; for a form the scope line does not name word for word, ask which document covers its production line before you place the certificate in your file. Scans are on the certificates page.
Packing materials: an EU Certificate of Conformity and a quality analysis per batch of material.

Placing the softgels on the market is the brand’s side. In most EU countries the brand owner or the local importer files a notification with the national food authority, and Pharma Manufacture supplies the batch documents for that file. The label falls under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, and the brand on it answers for it.

Ready-made softgel or your own formula?

A ready-made softgel is the shorter route: the recipe, sourcing and paperwork already exist, so it enters production from four weeks, with the minimum quoted within 24 hours. Your own formula costs a formula calculation, a validation batch made once before the run, and a higher minimum order.

The calculation checks whether your formula works as a softgel and in which size, and R&D checks the doses against the rules of the country of sale. A catalogue softgel, on the other hand, is open to any brand that orders it, so your brand, pack and market have to carry the difference. The general trade-off is in how to choose a supplement form and formula.

How do you request a quote for private label softgels?

Send six details and Pharma Manufacture replies within 24 hours with a price list and the lead time for that combination.

The formula: a catalogue name such as Omega-3 fish oil 1000 mg + vitamin E, or your ingredients with the dose per serving.
The size, if you know it: #3, #8, #10 or #20.
The pack: bottle, blister or zip-lock bag, and the softgels per pack.
The country of sale, because doses and the label are checked against its rules.
The label status: finished artwork, a brand identity, or only a product name. The in-house designer can prepare the artwork.
A quantity range: an estimate is enough to set it against the minimum.

Each form is priced as its own line, so softgels and tablets in one request come back as two items. The product list without prices comes on request, and the fuller checklist is in what a manufacturer needs to quote your first order.

Frequently asked questions

Does Pharma Manufacture make softgels in house?

Yes. Softgel capsules are produced at Pharma Manufacture’s plant in Mārupe, Latvia, rather than subcontracted, alongside tablets, hard capsules and powders. They are blister packed on the Uhlmann B 1240, on the same line as tablets and hard capsules, and counted into bottles on the Cremer CF 1220.

Can a softgel hold a powder?

Pharma Manufacture’s softgel machines are designed for oil-containing capsules, so a dry powder blend goes into a hard capsule. Hard capsules are filled in sizes #1, #0 and #00, in gelatin or vegan HPMC, on an IMA PRACTICA 100 that doses powders, granules or pellets.

Are Pharma Manufacture’s softgels vegan?

The softgel shell at Pharma Manufacture is gelatin, glycerin and water, so a vegan product goes into HPMC capsules or another form. For vitamin D3 the catalogue also has D3 + K2 tablets, effervescent D3 and D3 drops. The vegan status of a finished product is confirmed for the specific formula on request.

Can softgels be made halal?

Pharma Manufacture makes halal supplements on request, batch by batch; the plant’s certificates are GMP, HACCP and ISO 22000:2018. For a softgel the gelatin shell is the first question, so name halal, the formula and the market in your first message.

How long does a private label softgel order take?

From four weeks, and about eight weeks for a typical run, counted from the moment Pharma Manufacture has your confirmed order and technical brief. Raw material availability and artwork approval move the date more often than the run itself. A custom formula adds development and a validation batch, so its date is planned around the quote.

What is the minimum order for private label softgels?

Pharma Manufacture sets the softgel minimum by the softgel size and the fill, and quotes it within 24 hours of a request naming the formula and the pack. A custom formula starts higher. Why the minimum moves with form and formula is explained in minimum order by supplement form.

Can I bring my own softgel formula?

Yes. Pharma Manufacture produces formulas that customers bring: a formula calculation checks whether it works as a softgel and in which size, R&D checks the doses against the rules of the country of sale, and a validation batch is made once before the production run. Your own formula starts at a higher minimum than a ready-made one.

Can softgels made in Latvia be sold in other EU countries?

Pharma Manufacture produces in the EU under Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 and Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006; supplements are sold under Directive 2002/46/EC. Each country runs its own notification: the brand or its importer files it, and Pharma Manufacture supplies the batch documents. Orders go to a warehouse anywhere in the EU or are collected in Mārupe.

Send the oil, the size and the pack

Pharma Manufacture makes its softgels at “Kargo k-1”, Mārupe, Latvia, two minutes from Riga International Airport, under GMP, HACCP and ISO 22000 certificates. Pick a ready-made softgel or describe your own on the tablets, capsules and softgels page, name the pack and the country, and the reply comes within 24 hours with the price list and the lead time. Write to sales@pharmamanufacture.eu or use the contact form.

Sources

Pharma Manufacture, tablets, capsules and softgels: softgel sizes, shell, oil-based fills, softgel process (separate shell and fill blending, tumbling, 12-hour wind-tunnel drying, polishing), catalogue softgels and the Omega-3 and Omega 3+6+9 specifications, hard capsule sizes and de-dusting, packing, quarantine and release, minimum order, lead time, certificate numbers and dates: https://pharmamanufacture.eu/food-supplement-tablets-and-capsules/ (reviewed 2026-11-01)

Pharma Manufacture, equipment: softgels produced in house, Uhlmann B 1240 and Cremer CF 1220 applications and makers’ rated data, IMA PRACTICA 100 and IMA IC 150: https://pharmamanufacture.eu/equipment/ (reviewed 2026-11-01)

Pharma Manufacture, packing solutions: PET bottle sizes and colours, glass bottles, blisters, EU Certificate of Conformity for packing materials: https://pharmamanufacture.eu/food-supplement-packing-solutions/ (reviewed 2026-11-01)

Pharma Manufacture, buyer questions: Certificate of Analysis and order documents, lead time, shelf life by pack, your own formula, vegan and halal: https://pharmamanufacture.eu/buyer-questions/ (reviewed 2026-11-01)

Pharma Manufacture, certificates: GMP-FS-01, HACCP-01 and ISO 22000:2018 MSC-22-1384 with dates and scans: https://pharmamanufacture.eu/certificates/ (reviewed 2026-11-01)

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, status in force checked 30 October 2026: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32004R0852

Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, status in force checked 30 October 2026: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011R1169

Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods, status in force checked 30 October 2026: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32006R1924

Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements, status in force checked 30 October 2026: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32002L0046

Softgel Manufacturer in Europe: Sizes, Fills, Process and What a Private Label Order Needs