A vitamin supplement is composed of the vitamin itself and other ingredients. A vitamin can be produced in several ways, most of which are variations on a few basic processes. Here is a brief overview of how vitamins are made.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Manufacture Pure Vitamins
There are generally 4 ways to get pure vitamins. One process involves synthesizing the vitamin from chemical manufacturing. This is how vitamin C and vitamin B2 are made.
Another way to make a vitamin is to extract it from natural sources. For example, vitamin A can be extracted from fish liver oil. This process is more expensive than synthesizing the vitamin from scratch, but it results in a natural product.
Some vitamins can be produced by fermentation. This is how vitamin B12 is made. In this process, bacteria are used to convert a substrate into a vitamin. The bacteria can be grown in a laboratory or in a fermentation vat.
The final way to make a vitamin is to isolate it from animal tissue. This is how vitamin D is made. The starting material for this process is cholesterol, which is present in all animal tissues. Cholesterol is converted into vitamin D3, which is then purified and sold as a supplement.
Step 2: Pre-Blend Pure Vitamin with Other Raw Materials
A pre-blend is a mixture of different ingredients that are used to make the vitamin. When you get the pure vitamin, you need to pre-blend it with other substances according to the ingredients needed. This is necessary to ensure that the vitamin is stable and effective. The other substances in the pre-blend can also help the body absorb the vitamin.
Some of the most common substances used in pre-blends are:
Acacia Gum
This ingredient is derived from the acacia tree. It helps the vitamin stay in suspension and makes it easier for the body to absorb.
Microcrystalline Cellulose
It is made from wood pulp. It helps the vitamin stay in powder form and makes it easier to swallow.
Stearic Acid
This substance is derived from vegetable oil. It helps the vitamin mix evenly with the other ingredients in the pre-blend.
Silicon dioxide
This ingredient is derived from sand. It helps keep the vitamin dry and prevents it from clumping.
Of course, there are multivitamins, which are a combination of different vitamins. In this case, each vitamin is pre-blended with the other ingredients before being combined with the other vitamins in the supplement.
Step 3: Fill Capsules or Tablets
Vitamin supplements are available in many different forms, including tablets, capsules, powders, and liquids. Capsules and tablets are common forms. Here we’ll discuss these two types.
After the pre-blend is mixed, it is ready to be filled into capsules or tablets. This can be done by using a machine.
First, the capsules or tablets are placed into a hopper. The hopper is a funnel-like device that feeds the capsules or tablets into the filling machine.
Once the capsules or tablets are in the machine, the pre-blend is added. The amount of pre-blend added to each capsule or tablet can be controlled by the operator.
The machine then fills each capsule or tablet with the correct amount of pre-blend. The capsules or tablets are then ejected from the machine and ready to be packaged.
If you are making a powder form of the vitamin, this is the last step. The powder is then put into a package and ready to be sold.
Step 4: Package Finished Vitamins
The finished vitamins are now ready to be packaged outside. This can be done in a variety of ways, but the most common is to put them into a blister pack.
A blister pack is a plastic packaging that has small pockets that hold the capsules or tablets. The pockets are sealed by a thin film of plastic.
When you purchase a vitamin supplement, the blister pack is usually opened and the capsules or tablets are taken out.
Another common way to package vitamins is to put them into a bottle. The bottle can be made of plastic or glass. The vitamins are usually placed into a foam insert that holds them in place.
Once the vitamins are in the bottle, the bottle is sealed with a screw-on cap. The bottle is then placed into a box and is ready to be sold.
