How to Choose Between Manufacturing Chewable or Tablet Supplements
When you work with a private label manufacturer, you have a lot of decisions to make about your custom nutraceuticals during the development stage. If you are creating herbal supplements, one of those decisions is whether or not you intend the supplement to be chewed or swallowed whole. It’s best to educate yourself on the benefits of both options so you can find the right solution for your nutraceutical products.
Chewable Supplements
Chewable supplements are vitamins that can be broken down orally before they are swallowed. They can come in gummy or powder tablet form and are typically well-flavored. Vitamin C supplements and kids’ gummy multivitamins are examples of common chewable supplements.
If you choose to produce a chewable supplement, you will spend time working with your private label manufacturer to select the correct color and flavor of the supplement—there are a variety of options to choose from. You may also need to add some form of sweetener to the formula to mask any unpleasant tasting ingredients or flavors.
Easy to Take
Not only are chewable supplements colorful and tasty, they are also easy for almost anyone to take. Many children and adults are unable to swallow pill capsules, but are able to ingest their needed nutrients by taking chewable vitamins.
For children, the supplements can be produced to resemble the child’s favorite fruit snacks, which could make them easier for parents to administer and more likely to purchase. They can also be easier for consumers to take since they normally do not have to be taken with food or water, unlike capsule supplements. Instead of having to prep food or water, the correct dosage amount can be popped in the mouth as needed.
Whole Capsule Supplements
Non-chewable supplements are swallowed whole and broken down inside the stomach. They are usually recommended to be taken with food or water. They can come in tablet, soft-gel, or capsule form—think probiotics or fish oil.
Capsules can easily be taken together since they don’t require time to dissolve, or leave a taste in your mouth that doesn’t pair well with food or other supplements. It is also fairly easy for a consumer to take a lineup of supplements every morning when they aren’t chewable.
Consideration During Development
Producing capsule supplements focuses a lot less on flavor in the development stage. However, you may consider adding a coating to your custom nutraceutical if it contains an unpleasant ingredient that can immediately be tasted. Coating a tablet can also make it easier for the user to swallow.
If you are working with bitter main ingredients that have unpleasant tastes that won’t be masked with flavor additives, you may need to avoid producing chewable supplements with these ingredients. There are also some ingredients that cannot be compressed into a chewable tablet and make more sense to manufacture into capsules. Ingredients such as liquids and herbs tend to do better within capsules.
MBi Lets You Decide
Choosing between chewable and non-chewable is a tricky decision to make. Fortunately, when MBi is your private label manufacturer, you get expert advice along the way and the chance to sample different variations of your product before it’s finalized. Because of this, you can be sure you’re making the best decision for your nutraceuticals. Learn more about MBi’s supplement manufacturing process so you can get started on the right products for your company.