Gelatin capsules are the century-old industry standard, made from bovine or porcine collagen. Their thermogelling film sets predictably, fills cleanly on virtually any machine, and delivers rapid, medium-independent dissolution — which, combined with favorable cost and availability, keeps them the default for many nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products.
Gelatin Capsules
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Performance in practice
Gelatin has been the default hard-capsule material for over a century, so its filling behavior is understood on every generation of equipment. Shells separate, fill, and lock consistently across pharmaceutical and nutraceutical lines, which is a large part of why so many validated processes are built around them.
A standard gelatin shell dissolves rapidly and fairly independently of the medium, which makes it a dependable, well-characterized default for release. The main caveat is cross-linking over shelf life, addressed below.
Because gelatin is a reactive protein, it can cross-link when exposed to aldehydes, reducing sugars, or certain reactive actives, forming an insoluble film that slows dissolution as product ages. For reactive or aldehyde-generating fills, or very long shelf lives, this is a real stability consideration — and a reason some formulations move to HPMC.
Gelatin is plasticized by its own bound water and sits in dynamic equilibrium with ambient humidity. Below its working range it becomes brittle and prone to cracking; above it, shells soften and can deform. Stable temperature and humidity in storage and on the line protect capsule integrity.
For large-volume products with a compatible fill, gelatin offers a strong balance of performance, broad availability, and competitive cost per thousand. As a distributor we pass through the factory's GMP-accredited manufacturing and supply the batch-specific COA, specifications, and certificates — including Halal or Kosher where sourced from appropriately certified gelatin.
Colour and finish
A range of stock colours in opaque and transparent finishes. Availability varies by material and size, and we colour-match to Pantone for custom and printed runs.
#000, #00e, #00, #0, #1, #2, #3, #4, #5
Open the capsule size chartTechnical answers
They suit most fills, but moisture-sensitive, hygroscopic, reactive, or aldehyde-generating ingredients can shorten shelf life or cross-link the shell — HPMC is often the better fit there.
Yes. Gelatin is moisture-sensitive at both ends: too dry and it cracks, too humid and it softens, so stable temperature and humidity matter.
Yes. Gelatin is widely used across high-speed production and is the material most filling equipment is designed around.
A gradual chemical change in gelatin, triggered by aldehydes or reducing sugars, that forms an insoluble film and slows dissolution over time. HPMC does not have this failure mode.
Only when made from appropriately certified sources — for example Halal-certified bovine or fish gelatin. Standard porcine and non-certified bovine gelatin do not qualify; confirm against the certificate for the specific lot.
Next step
Get commercial terms, request trial samples, or build a custom colour and print specification. We'll come back with the documentation and practical detail needed to move forward.