From May 9th to 11th, 2023, the three-day Vitafoods Europe was grandly held in Geneva, Switzerland. Dietary supplement manufacturers and brand owners from various regions around the world gathered to discuss the latest industry technologies and trends. As a global professional supplier of plant-based capsule materials, erkang not only brought cutting-edge plant-based capsule starch technology but also unveiled the upgraded starch for chewable soft capsules—N-VGEL®, which attracted keen attention from industry insiders.

According to Vitafoods Insight, from 2021 to 2023, the plant-based soft capsule market experienced a compound annual growth rate of 4.3%. By 2028, the global market size is expected to reach $405.9 million, gradually becoming the mainstream trend in the dietary supplement market.

At this exhibition, erkang brought its patented product, Starchgel® (starch for plant-based soft capsules). It is understood that Starchgel® is made from cassava, sourced from Cambodia, and contains no preservatives, is gluten-free, complies with clean-label requirements, and supports sustainable development. The product has obtained multiple international certifications, including Halal certification, KOF-K Kosher certification, SGS non-GMO certification, and Indonesian Halal certification. It has also established partnerships with manufacturers in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and other regions.

In addition to meeting consumers' nutritional demands with product advantages such as "natural safety" and "clean label," erkang continuously upgrades its offerings in terms of new product forms, technologies, and experiences. At this exhibition, erkang showcased its latest product, N-VGEL®—starch for chewable soft capsules, which attracted many industry professionals to visit and discuss at their booth.

N-VGEL® is the latest research and development achievement of erkang. Compared to regular capsules, soft capsules made with N-VGEL® are more suitable for encapsulating highly active substances, have a richer chewing texture, and exhibit excellent heat resistance and stability. These attributes align with current consumer demands for natural health and diverse taste experiences.

After communicating with several industry experts and manufacturers at the Vitafoods Europe event, they expressed that N-VGEL®'s superior stability and heat resistance can provide manufacturers with more options for formula upgrades. It is one of the choices for helping dietary supplement dosage forms upgrade and creating product differentiation.

erkang, a publicly-traded company with over a decade of experience in the plant-based capsule field, holds more than 70 international technology patents and broke through the industrialization technology challenges of starch capsules in 2014. From May 23rd to 26th, 2023, the 7th erkang Starch Plant-based Capsule Global Summit will continue to take place. During the event, erkang will share its patented plant-based capsule starch technology and standardized production process with global dietary supplement, health product, and food manufacturers. In the future, erkang will continue to bring more innovative products to global dietary supplement manufacturers to meet the ever-evolving consumer market demands.

Hunan Erkang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd

Rice Zhang

China