Empty hard capsules are bought by the hundred thousand, and the order often goes out on three words: material, size, colour. Then the problems arrive in production. The shells run fine on one filling machine and split on another, the opaque white turns out to rely on a colourant your export market no longer allows, or the halal certificate that came with the quotation names a different plant from the one that made the cartons in your warehouse.
This guide is for supplement and food manufacturers, OEM factories and brands that buy empty capsules for their own filling. It covers how to specify the shell, what to check in the colour formula, how to verify halal and kosher papers, and how storage humidity affects what reaches your filling line.
Health supplements are foods, not medicines, and are not a substitute for medical treatment.
💬 Buying empty capsules for your filling line? We source HPMC, gelatin and pullulan capsules from Japan and elsewhere in Asia, with the specification, CoA and certificates. See ingredients and packaging supply.
Fix the material, then the size
Choose the shell material from your fill and your claims, then order by the standard size code and confirm the dimensions and fill volume on the supplier’s own specification.
The choice between gelatin, HPMC and pullulan depends on how moisture-sensitive your fill is and which diets and religious markets the product serves. Our guide to hard capsule shells compares the three materials in detail; this article picks up once the material is chosen and the question becomes how to buy it.
For a purchase, the material line on the order should say more than “HPMC” or “gelatin”:
- For gelatin, the source animal (bovine, porcine or fish). This decides halal, kosher and allergen points, so it must not be left to the supplier.
- For HPMC, whether a gelling agent is used and which one, since some HPMC capsules contain a gelling system and the ingredient list of the shell goes onto some labels.
- For pullulan, the shell composition as stated by the producer.
Capsules are sold by size codes such as 00, 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4, with 00 the larger and 4 the smaller in that list, and some producers offer elongated variants. The code is an industry convention, not a guarantee of identical dimensions. Ask for the producer’s specification sheet showing body and cap lengths, outer diameters, closed length and the stated capacity, and give it to whoever runs your filling machine. Change parts on encapsulators are set to dimensions, and a capsule that is nominally the right size but slightly different can affect separation and closing on your line.
Colour, opacity and printing
Ask for the full colourant list of the shell and check each colourant against the rules of every market you sell in; opaque shells in particular may rely on titanium dioxide.
Colour looks like a branding decision, but it is a formulation decision. A transparent capsule has no colourant. An opaque or coloured capsule contains one or more colourants or opacifiers, and those ingredients are regulated as food additives in many markets.
Titanium dioxide is the clearest example. The European Union removed titanium dioxide (E171) from its list of authorised food additives by Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/63; the transition period for food ended on 7 August 2022. A white opaque capsule made with titanium dioxide may therefore suit one market and not another. If you sell into the EU, or into any market that follows similar rules, ask for a titanium-dioxide-free opaque shell and for a statement confirming it.
| Colour choice | What to ask the supplier for |
|---|---|
| Transparent (clear) | Confirmation that no colourant is used |
| Opaque white | Opacifier used; titanium-dioxide-free option and statement if you sell into the EU or similar markets |
| Coloured, cap and body the same | Each colourant by name and additive number |
| Two-colour (cap and body different) | Colourant list for each half, and colour reference for both |
| Printed (logo or text on the shell) | Ink composition and its regulatory status in your markets |
Colour matching is usually done against a physical sample or a colour reference agreed in writing. Approve the colour on a production-representative sample, not on a screen. For printed capsules, agree the artwork, the position on cap or body and the ink colour at the same time.
Rules on colourants differ from country to country and change over time. Confirm the current rule in the country of use for every colourant on the list.
💬 Selling into several markets with one capsule? Tell us the destinations and we ask for a colourant list and titanium-dioxide-free options before you approve the colour.
Halal, kosher and vegan papers
A halal or kosher certificate counts only when it names the capsule product and the plant that made your lot and is valid on the production date; a vegan claim needs the shell composition in writing.
HPMC and pullulan shells are plant- or fermentation-derived, which is why they are widely chosen for vegetarian, halal and kosher products. Gelatin shells can also be halal or kosher depending on species, slaughter and certification. In every case the claim on your label rests on documents, not on the material name.
The checks for a halal certificate are the same as for any raw material: product named, plant named, in date, and issued by a body that the halal authority in your market recognises. The collagen peptide raw material guide explains each check, including recognition lists. For capsules, two extra points come up often:
- Coloured and printed shells. Ask that the certificate covers the coloured or printed version you are buying, not only the clear capsule.
- Plant changes. Producers may make the same capsule in more than one plant. The certificate must match the plant on your lot’s CoA.
For kosher, the certificate or letter should name the product and the plant and be in date, and whether a particular supervising agency is acceptable is decided by your customer or kosher authority.
“Vegan” has no single legal definition that applies in every market, and certification schemes differ. Ask for a written statement of the shell composition, including gelling agents, colourants and processing aids, and decide your claim from that. Our guide to halal, kosher and vegan supplements made in Japan discusses the claim itself.
| Document | What to check |
|---|---|
| Product specification | Material, size, dimensions, capacity, colour, colourants, printing |
| CoA per lot | Lot number, manufacturing date, results against specification |
| Halal certificate (if claimed) | Capsule product, plant, validity, issuing body recognised in your market |
| Kosher certificate (if claimed) | Capsule product, plant, validity |
| Composition and vegan statement | Every shell ingredient, including gelling agent and colourants |
| Gelatin source papers (gelatin shells) | Species, country of origin, BSE statement for bovine material |
| Allergen statement | Gelatin and fish where relevant to your labelling rules |
Storage humidity and the filling line
Store capsules in their sealed packaging within the temperature and humidity range on the supplier’s specification, and let them settle in the filling room before opening; shell moisture affects how they run.
A hard capsule shell holds water, and its moisture content moves with the air around it. Gelatin capsules stored too dry can become brittle; stored too humid they can soften or deform. HPMC shells are generally more stable across a humidity range, but they still have a storage range stated by the producer.
Practical steps:
- Read the storage range on the specification and share it with your warehouse. Capsules stored next to a loading door in a humid climate are not stored within range.
- Keep cartons sealed until use. Capsules are usually packed in a polyethylene liner inside a carton. Reseal part-used liners.
- Acclimatise before opening. Cartons moved from a cool store into a warm, humid filling room can collect condensation if opened at once.
- Use the oldest lot first, and check the shelf life on the CoA against your production plan.
These points matter more in a hot, humid climate such as Vietnam’s or much of Southeast Asia’s, where warehouse conditions vary through the year.
The capsule CoA and incoming checks
Compare each lot’s CoA with the specification, then run a short incoming check on dimensions, appearance and machine performance before releasing the lot to production.
A capsule CoA typically reports dimensions, weight, loss on drying or moisture, disintegration, microbiology and appearance defects against the producer’s limits. Ask which standard the tests follow and whether the limits are the producer’s or a pharmacopoeia’s.
On receipt, a simple incoming check catches most problems:
- lot number on the cartons matches the CoA;
- a visual check for dents, splits, double caps and colour variation against the approved sample;
- a short run on your encapsulator before the lot is released.
If you have finished capsules filled in Vietnam and want a third party to check them before shipment, our guide to pre-shipment inspection and AQL explains how sampling plans work.
How we supply empty capsules
You send the material, size, colour and target markets; we match producers in Japan or elsewhere in Asia, collect the specification, CoA and certificates, arrange samples and ship.
We do not name capsule producers on this site. A typical request:
- You give us material (with gelatin source if relevant), size code, colour or colour reference, printing, quantity, destination and the claims you need (halal, kosher, vegan, titanium-dioxide-free).
- We collect the producer’s specification sheet with dimensions, the colourant list, a recent CoA and the certificates.
- Samples are sent for a trial run on your machine and for colour approval.
- We ship with the export documents. Import clearance in your country is handled by the importer.
Price, minimum order and lead time depend on material, size, colour, printing, certification and quantity, so we quote after the specification is agreed. If you also buy fill materials or packaging, see the guides to taurine and amino acid raw materials and to bottles, pouches and labels.
💬 Need halal HPMC capsules in a specific size and colour? Send us the specification and we come back with producer sheets, certificates and samples.
Frequently asked questions
1. Are HPMC capsules automatically halal and kosher?
HPMC is plant-derived, so it avoids the animal-source questions of gelatin. A halal or kosher claim still needs a certificate that names the capsule product and the plant and is in date, and for halal, comes from a body your market’s authority recognises.
2. Can I use opaque white capsules in the EU?
Only if the opacifier is permitted there. Titanium dioxide (E171) is no longer an authorised food additive in the EU, so ask for a titanium-dioxide-free opaque shell and a written statement if you sell into the EU.
3. Is size 0 the same from every producer?
The size code is an industry convention, but exact dimensions and stated capacity can differ between producers. Ask for the specification sheet and check it with your filling machine before switching supplier.
4. Why did capsules that ran well last month start splitting?
Shell moisture is a common cause. Check how the cartons were stored, whether the liner was resealed, and whether cartons were opened straight from a cool store into a humid room. Then compare the lot’s CoA with the previous lot.
5. Do you supply small quantities for a trial?
Samples for machine trials and colour approval are part of the process. The minimum commercial order depends on material, colour, printing and the producer, so we confirm it with the quotation.
Checked on 25 October 2026. Sources: Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/63 amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 as regards titanium dioxide (E 171) (eur-lex.europa.eu); Food Safety Authority of Ireland, “Titanium dioxide is no longer authorised as a food additive” (fsai.ie); reports on Malaysia’s recognition of foreign halal certification bodies (Bernama, bernama.com). Colourant rules differ by country; confirm the current rule in the country of use.