October 25, 2024

How to Find a Quality Supplement Manufacturer

5 Minute Read

Quick Summary: Packaging is a crucial component in the supplement industry, not only for ensuring product safety, integrity, and convenience but also for providing significant branding and marketing opportunities. When choosing a supplement manufacturer, it's important to consider factors such as industry experience, certifications, compliance with regulations like the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act and cGMP, and their capabilities in lab research, product stocking, and order fulfillment. Additionally, manufacturers offering comprehensive services, including packaging, shipping, and storage, can streamline operations. If a manufacturer does not handle packaging solutions, outsourcing to a third-party like ELIS Manufacturing & Packaging Solutions can be beneficial. ELIS offers a wide range of packaging options, custom formulations, ingredient sourcing, and logistical support, ensuring high-quality, compliant supplements are delivered with efficiency and effectiveness.

Why Is Packaging So Important?

Selecting the right supplement manufacturer is a major aspect of developing and bringing your product to market. After all, you’ll trust them with the complex process of sourcing ingredients, developing a flavor profile, and manufacturing and packaging your finished products, so there’s little room for error.

In addition to manufacturing experience and capabilities, product packaging is also important. Not only should it guarantee product safety, integrity, and convenience, but it also offers branding and marketing opportunities.

Here we’ll look at the most important things to consider when selecting a manufacturing partner for your supplement or nutraceutical product. We’ll also highlight things to look for in a supplement packaging vendor.

How to Find a Quality Supplement Manufacturer

In today’s market, there are many types of supplements from capsules to powders and from creams to granules and beyond. Your task is to find a manufacturer that’s experienced with the specific ingredients and processing steps you’re looking for. It’s also important to determine if value-added services are available like inventory management, order fulfillment, and customized packaging.

Consider the following when selecting the right manufacturer for your products:

Industry Experience

Look for a manufacturer with deep knowledge of regulatory, sanitation, and safety requirements. Their relationships with suppliers for sourcing ingredients and equipment are also important to product quality and efficiency. Established supplement manufacturers often have this kind of experience and knowledge; however, new manufacturers may as well. Be sure to watch for and learn about new manufacturing processes and equipment that may be in use.

Certifications & Compliance

Manufacturers should comply with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. This legislation defines requirements that supplements not be adulterated or misbranded, and that safety and labeling must be evaluated before distribution.

In addition, be sure the manufacturer you select is currently Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) certified. The FDA enforces these regulations, and they focus on proper processes, sanitation, and facility design and operations where dietary supplements are produced or processed.

Lab & Research Facilities

Visit potential manufacturers to tour their facilities and observe typical operations. Equipment and the general environment should be clean and running efficiently. This is also a good time to ask about packaging and storage options, if available.

If there’s an on-site lab, be sure to find out if equipment and procedures are up-to-date. Finding a manufacturing partner with well-supported research capabilities may facilitate the development or expansion of your product line.

Product Stocking & Order Fulfillment

Consider your manufacturing partner’s ability to stock products and fulfill orders in a timely manner. Ask if they’re able to maintain your product on hand at all times, or if there could be gaps in production. Also, find out their typical lead time for high-volume orders.

Turnaround Time

Knowing the manufacturer’s average turnaround time for delivery once you place an order will help you determine if they can meet your expected timeframe. Consider that turnaround time may be different for new products compared to existing ones.

Packaging, Shipping, & Storage Options

Learn about the packaging, shipping, and storage services manufacturers provide, if any. Those who take this comprehensive approach enable you to streamline your operations by keeping all production and distribution steps under one roof.

If a manufacturer only provides products in bulk, you’ll need to find an additional solution for custom supplement packaging and distribution services. If your staff has the capacity, this can be an in-house operation; however, working with a third-party vendor often makes good business sense. A third-party company offering a range of services including blending, packaging design and branding, packaging for retail sales, inventory management, and order fulfillment may be more cost-effective than doing this work on your own.

Minimum Order Requirements

Ask if minimum orders are required and what that amount is. If your planned or usual order volume is below the minimum, you may be forced to order more than you need. This leads to wasted product and money, or the need to find additional sales opportunities for your product.

Availability of Custom Formulations

Developing custom product formulations helps differentiate you from competitors. According to IBIS World, in 2023 alone, the US supplement market produced an annual revenue of over $39 billion. This means your product must stand out to consumers wondering how to choose a supplement brand. A manufacturer that can help you bring custom or unique products to market gives you a significant advantage.

Working With ELIS Manufacturing & Packaging Solutions

Whether you’ve decided to outsource the packaging work you already do in-house, or your chosen manufacturer doesn’t provide a suitable solution, consider working with a custom supplement expert. ELIS Manufacturing & Packaging Solutions offers one-stop custom manufacturing and packaging solutions for the supplement industry. With a combined 50+ years of supplement wholesale experience and over 10 years in the manufacturing and packaging industry, we have a detailed understanding of the capabilities and services our customers value most.

Our packaging capabilities cover a range of product types such as capsules, powders, creams and lotions, gels, granules, seeds, and more. Package options include bottles, flexible packaging, blister packs, pouches and bags, stick packs, and single-use packaging.

We also offer the following services:

Sourcing ingredients
Blending bulk ingredients
Custom package design and manufacturing
Lot code embossing and hot stamping
Inventory management
Logistical support

Supplement Manufacturing & Packaging From ELIS

ELIS offers turnkey solutions to help you compete with top supplement companies. With quick turnaround times, custom formulation development, varied packaging options, and expert services, our team can help you produce high-quality, compliant supplements as well as the packaging to contain and protect them.