Encapsulation Services
Encapsulation Services: Potency Isn't Optional
We jokingly call the powders that give us the most trouble “powders from hell” — but we solve them with an extensive powder conditioning system that includes wet and dry granulation, milling techniques, and 100% natural flow agents. In other words: not with ingredients your customers hate.
What works in a small batch doesn’t always scale economically. Our powder conditioning techniques solve difficult powders mechanically — so as your volume grows, your cost per unit goes down, not your formula quality.
PureNSM offers affordable, scalable encapsulation services for supplement brands that need a manufacturing partner who can handle any kind of powder.
Choosing the right manufacturing partner is a big decision. You need a partner who can grow with you and who can handle changes in raw materials without changing fill weight or potency. And no matter what, you always need to ask one question: does the finished capsule actually test to label claim?
What Is Encapsulation?
Encapsulation means putting powder or oil inside a two-piece capsule shell so every capsule has the same, accurate dose. The hard part is the powder itself. Some powders flow easily through encapsulation machines. Others are sticky, resin-like, or so fine and light (“fluffy”) that they don’t reach the target weight and are hard to fill consistently. To make it more challenging, botanical density can also change from lot to lot.
As a contract encapsulation manufacturer, PureNSM solves these problems before the powder ever reaches the encapsulation machine.
We start by evaluating the powder, then mechanically condition it if needed.
Potency Verification Comes First
Most supplement brands that fail their first potency test fail for the same reason: an uneven blend. When active ingredients aren’t spread evenly through a powder, some capsules end up above the label claim and some below it. That inconsistency is exactly what gets products pulled from Amazon and other retailers.
Here’s how PureNSM prevents that:
- We evaluate the powder first. Mixed particle sizes, small-quantity ingredients, low-density (fluffy) powders, static-prone powders, resin-rich powders, oily powders, and other sticky powders all resist even flow through encapsulation machines — one of the top reasons brands switch manufacturers after repeated potency problems. Before anything gets blended or filled, we evaluate the powder’s behavior and test it for identity, purity, and potency. This tells us what mechanical conditioning is needed: dry and/or wet granulation, milling, and whether to use natural or commercial flow agents. An uneven, poorly flowing blend is often the real cause of a failed potency test.
- We correct particle sizes through in-house granulation. Making sure particle sizes between different raw materials are similar is crucial to an even blend. We run this through our own mechanical conditioning program, the NaturFlow8 System — done entirely on-site to save time:
- Dry granulation (roller compaction): compresses powder under high pressure into a solid mass, with no added moisture or heat, then mills it into uniform granules. Ideal for heat- and moisture-sensitive sticky actives.
- Wet granulation: a liquid binder is added gradually to bind particles together, the wet mixture is dried in a fluid-bed dryer, and then sieved to a consistent size — a strong option when a sticky blend also needs better compressibility. Freeze-drying is also available.
For brand owners who choose magnesium stearate to enable faster encapsulations, PureNSM openly shares the percentage used — it’s never a secret, and we typically use less than other factories. Some factories add magnesium stearate without telling the brand owner. PureNSM does not. If any PureNSM employee ever adds unauthorized magnesium stearate, we back it with a 100% money-back refund plus an additional $10,000 penalty.
- We calculate overages. That means adding the right amount of extra active ingredient so the product still meets its label claim by the time it reaches the customer.
- We fill and friction test. Our in-house fill testing involves two steps — a slug fill test and a friction test when warranted. It’s at this stage where we fine-tune the formula.
- We test everything in-house. Our Quality Control lab uses HPTLC (identity testing on 100% of incoming botanicals), FTIR (vitamin identity), HPLC (potency and identity), and ICP-MS (heavy metals). All raw materials are also tested in our BSL-2 microbiology lab. Our laboratory is inspected by NSF and UL.
Solving Fluffy, Low-Density Powders
Fine, fluffy, low-density powders create another problem: there isn’t enough mass to hit the target fill weight consistently, and they tend to blend unevenly. The fix follows the same granulation process described above — turning a fine, poorly flowing powder into larger, uniform granules that easily form a consistent slug in the encapsulation machine.
That transformation does three things for a fluffy powder:
- Increases density, so the powder fits properly in the capsule instead of overfilling or underfilling it.
- Improves flow, so the active ingredients are filled evenly in each capsule.
- Improves blend uniformity — When all the actives are the same size they blend evenly.
Better flow from granulating a fluffy powder can also reduce or remove the need for a flow agent like magnesium stearate, which supports a brand’s clean-label goals. ALT text: “Roller compactor performing dry granulation on botanical powder at PureNSM”
Scaling With Confidence
Solving sticky and fluffy powder problems only matters if the fix still works once production volume goes up. Many contract manufacturers do fine at small scale with semi-automatic equipment, but can’t stay consistent once they move to automatic encapsulation machines at full scale. Real scale takes mastery of powders, Encapsulation machines still need to be well-tuned and well-maintained — but even the best machine can’t succeed with a powder that won’t cooperate.
Sticky and fluffy powders create a specific risk: if they aren’t handled carefully, small amounts of certain ingredients can actually be lost from the mix. That’s why mechanical conditioning — dry and wet granulation, along with other methods — matters. It keeps every ingredient exactly where it should be, at any volume.
PureNSM operates 9 encapsulation machines, many built for large production runs — typically 5 million to 30 million capsules or more per run — along with v-blenders and ribbon blenders ranging from 300 liters to 1,000 liters. Total facility capacity now exceeds 91 million capsules per month, following a million-dollar renovation of the company’s 45,000-square-foot facility, with room for further growth.
Because granulation and in-house testing are part of the process from day one, a formula that passes potency testing in a small trial run uses the exact same process once a brand scales up to a full commercial order. There’s no re-solving sticky or fluffy powder problems from scratch.
Clean-Label Encapsulation Without Magnesium Stearate
PureNSM has been manufacturing since 1993 — improving our clean-label process before “clean-label” was even a common term.
We give brand owners the choice to encapsulate with or without excipients like magnesium stearate and other flow agents. Clean, transparent capsule manufacturing has always been a core strength here, not a recent addition.
When a brand owner wants a clean label, PureNSM avoids excipients with hard-to-pronounce, “chemical-sounding” names that many customers don’t like. We can do this because of:
- Specialized equipment invested in over the years specifically for clean, excipient-free runs.
- Granulation — both dry granulation (roller compaction) and wet granulation, combined with mechanical conditioning, to reduce our reliance on flow agents.
- A purity-focused culture — from quality control to managers to machine operators — built around clean-label compliance, not maximum speed.
- Slower machine speeds. Runs are often set to roughly 25% of maximum speed to protect purity, rather than defaulting to full speed.
- Natural alternatives, including rice extract, bamboo extract, and others, used in place of magnesium stearate.
- Transparency, backed by a 100% money-back guarantee plus $10,000 if magnesium stearate is ever used in a clean-label order without permission.
PureNSM also encapsulates with magnesium stearate when that’s what the brand owner wants. A well-flowing powder means faster encapsulation and lower cost, and some brands prioritize cost over a fully clean label — especially with naturally sticky powders. That’s why PureNSM typically provides two quotes: one with magnesium stearate and one without. The cost-versus-purity tradeoff is always explained up front, never hidden.
Choosing the Right Capsule Size
PureNSM’s automatic encapsulation machines are tooled for capsule sizes from 000 down to size 4, in gelatin, vegan/HPMC, and tapioca options. Actual fill weight always depends on the specific powder’s density after granulation — which is exactly why potency, sticky-powder, and fluffy-powder handling all come before capsule sizing in this guide.
Capsule Size | Fill Weight Range (mg) — Light to Heavy Powder |
000 | 615 – 1,370 |
00 | 430 – 950 |
0 | 305 – 680 |
1 | 225 – 500 |
2 | 165 – 370 |
3 | 135 – 300 |
4 | 95 – 210 |
PureNSM works directly with brand owners to recommend the size that fits their target dose and their formula’s real-world powder characteristics.
In-House Testing and GMP Certification
PureNSM’s laboratories and manufacturing facility are GMP certified by UL (since 2017), and the company has been a member of the Natural Products Association (NPA) since 2017 as well. PureNSM is registered with the FDA and manufactures in compliance with 21 CFR Part 111, the federal regulation for supplement manufacturers, which requires identity, purity, strength, and composition testing.
Here’s something worth knowing: GMP certifications from NSF look identical whether they were issued to a manufacturing facility, a warehouse facility, or a distribution facility. That means a factory could hold only a warehouse-level certificate while implying it’s certified as a manufacturer. Because of this, PureNSM recommends brand owners verify any manufacturer’s credentials directly through the certifying body’s own website, rather than trusting an emailed PDF.
Raw-material vendors and importers are usually governed by a different, less strict regulation — 21 CFR Part 117 — rather than the stricter 21 CFR 111 that applies to supplement manufacturers like PureNSM, since raw-material suppliers also serve the cosmetics and fragrance industries. This is one reason PureNSM tests 100% of incoming raw materials in-house, rather than relying only on a supplier’s paperwork
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does potency come before anything else in your process?
Because none of our other capabilities — granulation, clean-label manufacturing, large-scale production — matter if the finished capsule doesn’t test to label claim. Most failed potency tests trace back to an uneven blend, which is why correct overages and in-house HPLC, HPTLC, ICP-MS, and FTIR testing happen on every batch.
Do you have a granulator on-site for sticky or fluffy powders?
Yes — both wet and dry granulation, plus a fluid-bed dryer, all on location. Dry granulation (roller compaction) suits sticky, heat-sensitive activities. Wet granulation suits powders that also need better compressibility.
Can granulation help reduce or remove magnesium stearate from my label?
Often, yes. Better flow from granulating a sticky or fluffy powder can reduce or remove the need for flow agents like magnesium stearate.
What's your production capacity for scaling up?
Over 91 million capsules per month across 9 encapsulation machines, with blenders ranging from 300 to 1,000 liters, and typical production runs from 5 million to 30 million capsules or more.
Can you encapsulate without magnesium stearate?
Yes — it’s been PureNSM’s specialty since 1993, backed by a 100% money-back-plus-$10,000 guarantee if magnesium stearate is ever used without permission.
Why do you give two quotes?
So brand owners can choose: capsules with magnesium stearate (generally lower cost, faster runs) or without it (a fully clean label). The tradeoff is never hidden.
What capsule sizes do you offer?
Sizes 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, available in vegan/HPMC, gelatin, or tapioca.
How do I verify your GMP certification instead of just trusting a PDF?
PureNSM is GMP certified by UL and is a member of NPA. Because NSF issues identical-looking certificates for warehouse, distribution, and manufacturing facilities, PureNSM recommends verifying any manufacturer’s certification directly on the certifying body’s website.
Talk to Us About Your Formulation
Whether potency verification, a sticky or fluffy powder, scaling to commercial volume, or a clean, magnesium-stearate-free capsule is the top priority, PureNSM’s team can walk through your formulation and recommend the right granulation method, capsule size, and production timeline before your batch is ever scheduled. Learn more about granulation capabilities, review PureNSM’s certifications, read questions to ask any supplement manufacturer, or learn more about PureNSM before reaching out.
Regulatory References
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 21 CFR Part 111 — Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packaging, Labeling, or Holding Operations for Dietary Supplements. eCFR. (The regulation PureNSM manufactures under, as named in PureNSM’s own materials.)
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 21 CFR Part 117 — Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food. eCFR. (The less-stringent regulation that governs raw-material vendors, as referenced in PureNSM’s certifications materials.)