How Gelatin Capsules Are Made

As our world becomes more connected and information is shared quite easily in the internet today, people are more curious about where their food comes from. One question that begs to be answered is where gelatin capsules are made of and this is an interesting especially for individuals who pay attention to what they eat. Gelatin capsules are made of natural ingredients and below are some interesting things on how the capsules are manufactured.

How Gelatin Capsules are Made

One of the benefits of taking in gelatin capsules is that it is made of natural food source. In previous years, these capsules are made from beef bones and purified water. Nowadays, thanks to technological advancements, one can also purchase vegetarian gelatin capsules. This is ideal for people with religious or dietary restrictions and cannot consume animal byproducts or have food sensitivities.

To start with, the process of creating the gelatin capsules, raw materials undergo quality testing to ensure that they are safe to use. The raw materials are placed in a petri dish and then in a specialized oven where the temperature is adjusted to stimulate growth of organisms. If the raw materials develop any growth of bacteria, then they are not safe to use. Then these are placed into a spectrometer, which burns the gelatin. The gas substance is then analyzed for any impurities. If there are no bacterial growths or impurities found, then the raw material is safe to use.

Once the gelatin passes the quality testing, it is then blended and subjected to a heating process where the gelatin will be set in. Heating temperature is set at 80C whereas the holding tanks will keep the gelatin temperature at 60C.

During the filling process, capsule shaped pens are dipped in the gelatin solution. It is then lifted off to where cool air blows over the pen to spread the solution uniformly. It will stay in the pen until the solution dries.

Once the solution dries, the caps are then removed from the pin. Using a special lever, the capsules are removed from the pins and then set on collets or holding racks where they would undergo trimming to remove the excess gelatin. The excess pieces will be sucked into a vacuum where it will then be recycled.

Once trimmed, the lot will move to a sorter to determine if there are any defects in the capsules. The batch will also pass by an automatic machine, which checks the capsules for any holes, dents or pinches. Any defective pieces are thrown to the recycle bin. Finished products will then be packed and shipped anywhere in the world.