Producing a food supplement: forms, constraints, and design choices.

The Italian dietary supplement market saw the launch of more than 4,000 new references in 2024 alone, in a sector that is now worth about 5.2 billion euros. In this context of growing supply, the form of presentation is one of the elements that differentiate a product from its competitors. Not the only one, but one of the most visible – and one of the most related to upstream technical choices.

Stability: time is an ingredient

A supplement must maintain its characteristics-chemical, physical, organoleptic- throughout the shelf life stated on the label. This goal is called stability, and the presentation format is one of its main determinants.

Powders are sensitive to moisture: some formulations require high moisture barrier packaging or the addition of desiccants in the packages. Liquids must be formulated to prevent microbial growth and degradation of actives over time-which implies precise choices about pH, osmolarity, preservatives allowed by current regulations, and type of packaging. Coated Tablets protect the active from light and gastric acidity, but require technically controlled film coating processes that add manufacturing complexity.

Accelerated stability tests-conducted under stressed temperature and humidity conditions-are an integral part of the development of any serious supplement and are non-negotiable: they are the way to know, prior to launch, that the product will reach the consumer under the same conditions in which it was formulated.

Bioavailability: not all of the dose reaches its destination

Bioavailability-that is, the proportion of a nutrient that actually reaches the systemic circulation after intake-varies significantly depending on the form of presentation and the chemical form of the active. It is one of the most relevant parameters in evaluating a supplement, and one that is often underestimated by those who choose the format based only on appearance or manufacturing cost.

Liquid and Soluble Powder formats generally offer faster availability because they skip the disintegration step that Capsules and Tablets require before releasing the active instead. Enteric-release Capsules-coated with polymers that resist gastric acidity-protect sensitive actives from the acidic environment of the stomach and release them into the small intestine, where absorption is most efficient for certain nutrients, particularly Probiotics and some delicate plant extracts. Sublingual and liposomal formats, on the other hand, aim to bypass the digestive tract, with potential bioavailability advantages for specific molecules.

Knowing these mechanisms is part of the work of formulation-and it guides the choice of format far more precisely than any purely aesthetic consideration.

Compliance: the format no one takes doesn’t work

There is a parameter that the scientific literature calls compliance-the likelihood that the consumer will take the product continuously and throughout the expected cycle-and in the supplement market it is often underestimated in the development phase. A supplement that is technically optimal but difficult to take-because of excessive size, unpleasant taste, awkward format to carry around-is a supplement that does not produce the expected results. Not because the formula is wrong, but because it is not followed.

Chewables have gained significant market share in recent years precisely because they improve compliance in specific segments: children and the elderly in the first place, but also adults who prefer not to take Capsules or Tablets, or who seek a pleasant moment in their daily routine. Single-dose formats – Stick Packs, vials, single-serving sachets – respond to the same logic: they eliminate the problem of dosing, make the product portable, and lower the intake barrier. These are not aesthetic details. They are design decisions that affect the actual efficacy of the product.

A process that starts long before packaging

Producing a dietary supplement in Italy means operating within a precise regulatory system, with technical requirements affecting both formulation and production facilities. Solid formats-Capsules, Tablets, Tablets, Granules-require specific compression, encapsulation and packaging facilities, with weight and content uniformity controls at each batch. Liquid and Gel formats require dedicated lines with controlled management of microbial and chemical contamination. Powders require high-precision dosing systems and production environments with humidity control.

This means that the choice of format is not just a formulation decision: it is also a production decision, which depends on the skills and equipment of the plant with which one is working. For those developing a new product, early verification of production feasibility-in the desired formats, in the assumed volumes, with the certifications required by the target market-is not a bureaucratic step. It is an integral part of the development journey, and doing it late always costs more than doing it now.

On the system certification front, those sourcing from co-packers for large retailers or international markets are finding FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification Scheme 22000) an increasingly popular reference as a contractual precondition. Developed in 2009 by the Foundation for Food Safety Certification and recognized by GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) since 2010, FSSC 22000 is based on ISO 22000 with the addition of sector-specific prerequisite programs. It certifies that the production system as a whole-from risk analysis to process controls, from allergen management to traceability of each batch-is in compliance with international food safety standards. It is not a product certification: it is a guarantee that the way the product is made complies with a system verified and audited by ACCREDIA-accredited bodies.

Find a complete overview of the shapes and types we produce on the Form and Typologies page. If you have a project to set up and would like to discuss the formats best suited to your asset and target audience, we are available to talk about it.