As consumers increasingly demand more vegan or vegetarian products, vegan certification has been one of the most sought-after certifications in the nutritional industry. In response, vitamin, supplement and even pharmaceuticals manufacturers have had to change their approach to the dietary supplement market. Consumers are searching for brands in the marketplace that support their “green,” sustainable lifestyle. The question is, are you giving them good reasons to choose your brand?

To help you expand the market for your products, K-CAPS is excited to announce that our HPMC capsules have received the Vegan Society’s highly-regarded Vegan Certification.

This Certification is the ideal complement to the product’s existing Non-GMO Certification, as these two certifications have become key purchasing factors of the health-conscious consumers for whom core values drive purchase decisions.

K-CAPS^® meet a high standard

K-CAPS^®was the first innovator of vegetarian capsules. While we have always referred to our clear HPMC capsules as being vegetarian, the reality is that these HPMC capsules have actually been vegan since day one. This third-party certification “makes it official,” validating the purity of our raw ingredients and the quality of our empty capsules.

Certification gives us the right to use the Vegan Society’s internationally-recognized vegan trademark in conjunction with our HPMC capsules. To receive this certification we showed that K-CAPS^® meet the following strict criteria: 

• Come from a non-animal source and contain no animal ingredients, products, by-products or derivatives.
• Are made in such a way that any processing aids used in the manufacturing process are also
• Are made from ingredients that have never been tested on animals on our behalf or by parties over whom we have effective control. This criteria helps show that these HPMC capsules are cruelty-free.

Why did K-CAPS^® choose to pursue the Vegan Society’s vegan certification? To help our clients—companies like yours that make pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals—give consumers what they want. This, of course, will also boost your product marketing efforts.

Using vegan certified capsules can help you grow your market share

If you are marketing your products as being suitable for those on a vegan or vegetarian diet, and perhaps have also pursued the Vegan Society certification, being able to say that you use vegan certified HPMC capsules is a real plus. This can help you grow your market share with tangible proof of the quality and purity of all aspects of your product—including the capsules—from the vegan standpoint.

The demand for vegan and vegetarian products is growing

A 2017 Nielsen Homescan survey^[1] found that 39% of Americans were actively trying to eat more plant-based foods, and that 6% and 3% of Americans claimed to follow a strictly vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, respectively.

Building upon Nielsen’s findings, an Ipsos Retail Performance study based on Google search data showed that interest in veganism amongst Americans increased 300% between 2004 and 2019. Ipsos estimates that the number of vegans in the U.S. skyrocketed from 290,000 people to over 9.7 million during that time.^[2]

It stands to reason that interest in vegan products is even higher amongst the health-conscious consumers who choose to take nutraceuticals and other dietary supplements. It is believed that many consumers will choose one brand of nutraceuticals over the next specifically because it is vegan. Even if they do not follow a vegetarian diet, some consumers look for the Vegan Trademark because they want to purchase cruelty-free supplements. They know this symbol means that the product’s ingredients were not tested on animals.

Vegan products are also sought out by those with dietary restrictions

K-CAPS^® are not just certified vegan. They are also Kosher and Halal certified, non-GMO, and free of preservatives, allergens and starches. Consumers with dietary restrictions who are looking for products with any of these traits are also reassured by the vegan certification.

For example, consumers who have potentially-fatal allergies to eggs look for the vegan trademark because, by definition, vegan products cannot contain any trace of eggs. This third-party certification provides another level of comfort that the product is, indeed, safe for them to consume.

Conclusion

K-CAPS^® is proud to produce empty capsules of the highest quality—and we’re excited that this new vegan certification for our HPMC capsules can contribute to your brand’s success by providing reassurance to your end consumers.

 Contact us for more information. 

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^[1] Nielsen Insights, “Plant-Based Food Options are Sprouting Growth for Retailers,” https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2018/plant-based-food-options-are-sprouting-growth-for-retailers/.

^[2] Ipsos Retail Performance, “Exploring the explosion of veganism in the United States,” https://www.ipsos-retailperformance.com/en/vegan-trends/