The natural concept prevails. Will plant soft capsules replace gelatin?
Plant soft capsules are an important medicinal packaging material. According to investigations and studies by relevant institutions, in 2015, the domestic output of hollow gelatin capsules reached 100 billion capsules. The global demand for hard capsules was 1.5 trillion capsules/year, and soft capsules reached 70 billion. Grains/year, the global market totals nearly 100 billion RMB. From 2014 to 2018, the compound growth rate of global plant soft capsule production was 7.1%. According to QYR survey results, the total value of the global vegetable soft capsule market reached 2.9 billion yuan in 2018, and it is expected to grow to 4.4 billion yuan in 2025. The growing market demand for vegetable soft capsules is mainly due to the growing consumer demand for healthier products in the downstream market.
What is the difference between vegetable soft capsules and gelatin?
Plant soft capsules are made of natural plant cellulose water-soluble polysaccharides as raw materials, and the contents are wrapped and sealed. The gums are mostly plant extracts instead of gelatin. Plant soft capsules have irreplaceable advantages in terms of source of raw materials, stability, safety and health maintenance.
Gelatin is an animal protein component extracted from the connective tissues of pigs, cattle, and sheep, such as skin and bones. Gelatin has been used in capsule products for more than one hundred years, and the technology has matured. Currently, soft capsule products on the market Most of them are made of gelatin materials. With the development of society, consumers have higher and higher requirements for food and health food, and the differences in product needs of different consumer groups have become more and more obvious. The advocacy of plant and natural concepts has given birth to the research and development of plant soft capsule products. And innovation.
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2026-06-09
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Functional Ingredients Industry Overview
Collection of Markets for Functional Ingredients in Food & Nutrition and Cosmetics.Published in: Mar. 2026
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