DuPont's seaweed-based soft capsule ingredient gains non-GMO certification

SeaGel offers drug and dietary supplement manufacturers an animal-free and sustainable alternative to traditional soft capsules.

SeaGel offers a plant-based alternative to traditional soft capsules. Although soft capsules are a common delivery format for active ingredients, they are traditionally made with gelatin.

Naturally derived from seaweed, SeaGel is animal-free, making it inclusive to vegan, vegetarian, Halal and Kosher diets. Its recent non-GMO designation allows manufacturers incorporating SeaGel into their formulation to appeal to a wider range of consumers.

“As consumers become more informed about what goes into their daily supplements, they’re searching for products that are natural, sustainable and non-GMO,” said Michael Baumann, global strategic marketing manager, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences. “Adding the iconic non-GMO butterfly to their end products helps manufacturers and brand owners provide customers with immediate assurance that a product aligns with their lifestyle needs.”

SeaGel offers manufacturers solutions to a wide range of formulation challenges, and when compared to alternative vegetarian soft capsule technology, it provides superior sealing performance and reduced leakage.

Since seaweed has a higher melting point than gelatin, SeaGel soft capsules are more heat stable, ensuring they will not become sticky or melt together inside capsule bottles. Its adaptability to shape, color and coating — plus easy incorporation into existing gelatin manufacturing operations — allows for a wide range of brand strategies with minimum capital investment.