How Manufacturers Make Dietary Supplements

The process of creating a dietary supplement seems rather mundane on the surface – squeeze a substance into a pill form and you’re ready to roll out your product. If only it were that easy. USP ingredient supplier Bell Chem gives a little background on the myriad steps from formulation to completion of dietary supplements.

Developing a formula

Depending on your goal – relieving joint pain or stiffness, increasing energy levels, supporting physical or mental health, or any of the other goals of dietary supplements – a formula with the specific active and inactive science-based ingredients must be developed.

Manufacturing necessities

Every capsule, pill, and tablet needs the exact amount of active and inactive ingredients. These measurements are only feasible with specifically calibrated scales and balances. Another portion of physical equipment is particle modifiers, which perform precisely what their name implies by hammering, granulating, oscillating, rolling, agglomerating, and otherwise transforming a liquid or solid into a finished product. Once products are the correct viscosity, they are blended and filled into capsules or pressed into tablets before being packaged.

Choosing the correct raw materials from Bell Chem

With a wide array of USP-designated ingredients, Bell Chem is sure to supply you with the products you need at a price you can afford. We can ship your 100% pure items quickly and accurately. No matter where your chemicals and supplements originate, it is vitally important to test the raw materials once they reach your premises.

Testing

Research before development of your product will give you precise measurements, but physically testing products will ensure the manufacturing process is correct. Pilot batches and instrument adjustments ensure your dietary supplement meets expectations. Once the pilot batch test proves positive, a production run ensues. Production runs include testing for uniformity in the mixture and content, particle size analysis, flowability, and amount of disintegration (absorption) over time. 

At last the final product is ready to be tested using the same procedures for the raw materials, including identity and potency along with microbiological and heavy metal compliance. Approval at this level via the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) leads to a finished product ready to be distributed. 

Quality control

Quality control is vital at every step of the manufacturing process. Armed with a checklist and specific set of regulatory requirements, quality control tests products and equipment to meet or exceed manufacturing guidelines. 

Packaging and labeling

This might seem a simple step requiring the advertising department, but the FDA is involved in this step as well since package labels must include the product name, serving size, list of ingredients, health claims, and dietary restrictions. 

Bell Chem is a USP ingredients supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including many raw materials for dietary supplements. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.