Meet the Expert: Vitor Antraco
To continue our Meet the Expert series, we're delighted to feature Vitor Antraco. He is a passionate softgel formulation specialist based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with extensive experience in pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement applications. Having developed more than 15 softgel products and served as an R&D head, Vitor brings valuable insights into the art and science of softgel technology.
We spoke with Vitor about the advantages of softgels for nutritional supplements, development challenges, and his vision for the future of softgel technology.
Q: What are the key advantages of softgel capsules compared to other conventional dosage forms, especially for nutritional supplements?
A: Nutritional supplements in softgel form effectively bridge pharmaceutical and nutritional applications. They offer distinct advantages over other dosage forms like tablets or hard capsules.
A key benefit is combining multiple active ingredients in a single dosage form. The hermetic seal enables the delivery of various vitamins and minerals while offering superior protection for sensitive compounds. Stability is significantly better compared to many other pharmaceutical forms.
Q: What are the main challenges when developing or manufacturing nutritional supplements in softgel form?
A: I categorize the main challenges in softgel development into five critical areas:
Formulation design: This includes selecting the appropriate gelatin type, optimizing bloom strength, plasticizers, and ensuring fill-shell compatibility
Process parameters: Manufacturing requires precise control of temperature, fill viscosity, ribbon thickness, and seam quality to prevent defects
Environmental control: Particularly humidity management during drying and storage
Equipment setup: Proper calibration, wedge temperature control, and alignment of dies
Skilled personnel: Often underestimated but critical to successful production
The most important factor is having personnel with proper expertise. Without cross-functional understanding between R&D and manufacturing teams, quality control becomes reactive rather than preventive. We must approach development with connected steps throughout the product lifecycle: formulation should be an integrated process, not an isolated component.
Want to explore these challenges further? Our e-book, "Most Common Pitfalls in Softgel Development," explores the critical connection points Vitor mentioned and how to avoid common failures.
Q: Why do consumers tend to prefer softgel supplements over other forms?
A: Softgels offer both practical and aesthetic advantages. When comparing products - such as omega oil supplements - the softgel form provides a visibly superior presentation. They're visually appealing, easy to swallow, mask unpleasant tastes, and create minimal odor.
The smooth texture and shiny finish create a perception of better quality and improved user experience. They're particularly beneficial for individuals with swallowing difficulties. Over time, stability differences become apparent—softgels typically maintain their quality better during shelf life compared to alternative forms.
Q: What are the technological differences between pharmaceutical and nutritional softgel manufacturing processes?
A: The core manufacturing technology remains quite similar across both applications. In pharmaceutical production under GMP, there's naturally greater emphasis on quality control documentation, traceability, and validation protocols.
Manufacturing requires careful segregation of production lines. For example, certain active pharmaceutical ingredients cannot be produced on the same equipment without comprehensive cleaning validation. Regulatory standards from the FDA, ANVISA (Brazil), and EMA are increasingly similar regarding quality focus.
In Brazil, ANVISA now applies comparable regulations to pharmaceutical and nutritional products. While nutritional products may benefit from somewhat expedited processes and more flexible regulatory pathways, applying pharmaceutical-grade standards to nutraceuticals creates a distinct quality advantage.
Are you interested in applying pharmaceutical formulation standards to your nutraceutical products? Our "Shell Formulation Development" e-book provides specific strategies for creating robust, high-quality shells for both applications.
Q: What notable trends have you observed in the nutritional softgel product market over the past few years?
A: Quality and regulatory convergence are significant trends in Latin American markets. Regulatory authorities increasingly require robust technical justification for formulation and process decisions, with documentation standards approaching pharmaceutical requirements.
For the future of nutraceuticals, I'm observing several significant developments:
Microencapsulation: Advanced techniques for encapsulating sensitive ingredients like vitamin C to reduce reactivity and improve stability in multi-component formulations.
Miniaturized formats: Moving toward smaller, more concentrated dosage forms, particularly for omega-3 products.
Enteric coating technology: Using polymers like methacrylate to enable targeted or delayed release.
Vegetarian alternatives: Responding to growing market demand for plant-based delivery systems.
Q: Where do you see the future of softgel technology heading in the nutritional supplement space?
A: The future of softgel technology will focus on several innovation areas. Companies developing challenging formulations, such as enzyme-based products, are pioneering new approaches to stability and delivery.
Key innovation directions include:
Advanced coating technologies for targeted or sustained release
Plant-based shell alternatives with performance comparable to gelatin
Process improvements for thermal performance and accelerated drying cycles
Integration of real-time analytics for dynamic quality control
Success requires balancing three critical factors: technical innovation, cost efficiency, and patient-centered design. The most successful products will optimize all three while meeting evolving regulatory requirements. Softgels may look simple, but every shell carries layers of complexity. If we learn to listen, they’ll teach us how to innovate.
Our online softgel course is now live!
After years of requests, we've packaged our expertise into comprehensive training courses:
+ Practical formulation knowledge based on 15+ years of experience
+ Solutions to common quality issues like leakage and crosslinking
+ Available on-demand access—learn whenever and wherever you want
