Buyer questions · Vegan and free-from

Vegan supplement manufacturer: gluten-free and sugar-free too?

Yes: vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free or sugar-free, as a property of a specific formula, confirmed on request for that formula. Pharma Manufacture fills hard capsules in plant-based HPMC shells, and its more than 30 ready-made sports powders include vegan protein from pea, rice and soy. Syrups are sweetened with liquid sorbitol as standard. Each claim has its own condition: “sugar-free” means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml, and “gluten-free” no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg.

Vegan supplements: which capsules and proteins suit them?

HPMC capsules. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is plant-based, so an HPMC shell suits vegetarian and vegan products, while a gelatin shell is derived from animal collagen. Both come in sizes #1, #0 and #00, and switching the shell does not change the filling setup, so choosing vegan does not move the order size. Whether the finished product is vegan is then decided by every other ingredient in the formula.

Softgels are the form that cannot be vegan here: the shell is gelatin, glycerin and water. If an oil-based product has to be vegan, the form question comes before the formula question.

For sports powders, the vegan proteins sit alongside whey concentrate, creatine, amino acids and pre-workout formulas, with several flavours for most of them and custom flavours through R&D. Ask with the formula you have in mind and the claim you want on the label.

Can a supplement syrup be sugar-free?

Syrups are sweetened with liquid sorbitol as standard, and if the formula or the market calls for a different base without sugar, we use one. Whether a given syrup can carry the claim “sugar-free”, no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 ml under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, is confirmed per formula. Sorbitol is a sweetener and a polyol: the label says “with sweetener(s)”, and above 10 % of added polyols it also carries the statement that excessive consumption may produce laxative effects (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex III).

Malic acid covers the off-taste that minerals and some actives leave behind, and the flavour is chosen per formula after that.

How is the line cleaned between products?

Full cleaning and disinfection is carried out between products as part of the HACCP food safety system, and the equipment is built for it: the blister line has smooth stainless steel surfaces with no hidden corners, and the tablet press keeps oil out of the product zone. Allergens have to be declared on your label under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, and the brand answers for every claim on the pack, so name each free-from claim you plan to print when you ask for the quote.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about vegan and free-from supplements

Are your capsules vegan?

Pharma Manufacture fills both plant-based HPMC capsules and gelatin capsules; only HPMC suits a vegan or vegetarian product, and the rest of the formula is checked ingredient by ingredient.

Can softgels be vegan?

Pharma Manufacture’s softgel shell is made of gelatin, glycerin and water, so a vegan product goes into HPMC capsules instead.

Do you make vegan protein powder?

Yes. Pharma Manufacture’s ready-made sports powders include vegan protein from pea, rice and soy, packed in jars, doypacks or zip-lock bags.

What are your syrups sweetened with?

Liquid sorbitol as standard, or another base without sugar if the formula or the market calls for it. Whether the syrup can be labelled “sugar-free” is confirmed per formula against the 0.5 g per 100 ml limit.

Is the line cleaned between products?

Yes. Full cleaning and disinfection between products is part of Pharma Manufacture’s HACCP food safety system.