Choosing the Right Capsule Supplement Manufacturing Partner

If you’re launching or scaling a brand, choosing the right capsule manufacturer can feel like a minefield. There are dozens of options, all promising quality, fast turnaround, and “premium” results.

But behind the scenes, the wrong partner can slow your growth, bottleneck your inventory, or worse – deliver low-quality product that damages your reputation. 

The good news?

When you know what to look for, and what to avoid, you can confidently choose a capsule supplement manufacturing partner who supports your growth, protects your brand, and helps deliver a product you’re genuinely proud of.

Here are some recommendations to help guide you.

Prioritize Quality and Certifications Above All

Quality has to come first. The market is competitive and heavily regulated, and your reputation (not to mention customer safety) depends on finding a quality-focused manufacturing partner.

Here are the benchmarks we insist on at Steuart Nutrition: 

• Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP): Any capsule manufacturer on your shortlist should adhere to cGMP guidelines. Compliance means they’ll have quality controls for sanitation, consistency, and testing. 

• FDA Registration: Registered and inspected facilities ensure that, at baseline, they meet current food and safety standards. Don’t just take their word for it – ask if they’ve had any recent inspections or warning letters. A manufacturer unwilling to discuss compliance is a serious red flag.
  
  
• Third-Party Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Certifications: Look for reputable organizations. In our view, if it’s not from NSF International or UL Solutions, you should be cautious. Very few certification bodies have as much credibility as they do.
  
  
• Testing and Transparency: Remember, your brand’s name is on the bottle, and any lapse in quality will reflect on you. Look for partners who test both raw and finished products, and provide a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for each batch that confirms capsules are free of contaminants and ingredients are properly potent. 

As part of your vetting process, you should also verify you’re dealing with the actual manufacturer rather than just a broker. Middlemen outsource production to third parties, and pose risks to brands as they can’t directly ensure quality control. If all you see is a slick website, but no details about the facility, start asking questions. 

At Steuart Nutrition, quality is non-negotiable. We ensure our products are safe and consistent by only partnering with suppliers who meet top-tier certifications.

Look for Experience with Your Specific Product Formula

Not all capsule manufacturers have experience with every type of ingredient or formulation. It’s nuanced, but crucial to consider: do they have a track record with your product?

Is it a standard multivitamin? Or something complex, like an herbal extract blend, probiotic, or peptide-based supplement?

For instance, probiotics require special handling due to their sensitivity to moisture and heat. Peptides can also be sensitive, and have to be precisely dosed to work properly. And if you’re going for a clean label (no synthetic fillers or flow agents), many manufacturers may find it challenging to work with organic or whole-food-based formulas. They’re sticky, bulky, and unless you’ve done it before, can take considerably more troubleshooting compared to traditional additives. 

Ask pointed questions about their experience with your type of product. A good manufacturer will openly share past successes (or challenges) and how they overcame them. And if they’ve never produced anything like your formula, be sure to carefully evaluate if they can learn quickly without jeopardizing your launch.

Oftentimes, the safest choice is someone who has already mastered your product category.

Communication and Customer Service Matter (A Lot)

Unfortunately, many brands have to learn the hard way how quickly slow responses and poor communication can derail a project.

Here’s what to pay attention to:

• Responsiveness: Do they reply to calls or emails promptly? Even if it’s just a “We got your message and we’re working on it,” you should get a response within a business day. If a company takes a week to get back during the sales process, imagine how long they’ll take to respond when you’re a client.
  
  
• Knowledgeable Guidance: The best partners are an extension of your team. They’ll not only answer your questions, but also ask insightful things about your goals and needs. Pay attention to whether they’re genuinely interested in your brand’s success, or just trying to push a contract.
  
  
• Dedicated Point of Contact: Miscommunications happen when you’re passed around to different departments without clear ownership. A single point of contact who understands your project can streamline the process, and it’s worth asking if you’ll have a dedicated account manager. Additionally, consider asking about backup contacts – if your rep is on vacation, is there someone who can step in?

Trust your gut during early communications. If emails are going unanswered or you feel like you’re chasing them down for updates, it may be wise to look elsewhere. 

Understand What Your Brand Needs: MOQs and Options

One size does not fit all. Young companies launching their first products and established brands need very different kinds of partners. 

Given your growth stage, here are the types of services and MOQs you can expect:

• Small: If you’re just starting out, look for private or white label services. These manufacturers offer stock formulations and work with MOQs of 100-200 bottles. They’re a great way to test the market without committing to a large order.
  
  
• Growing: If you need a larger run (2,000-5,000 bottles), or want a custom formula, many mid-tier manufacturers can accommodate. Make sure your partner can reliably source ingredients and produce the volume you need. Be aware – smaller manufacturers may offer lower MOQs, but larger shops will give you a better price per unit.
  
  
• Established or Rapidly Growing: If you suspect your marketing could spike demand overnight, it’s important to make sure your partner can scale. Your first manufacturer may be able to handle current volume, but if they can’t quickly scale to 20,000 or 50,000 bottles, you could face serious delays that stunt your growth. 

We’ve personally witnessed marketing campaigns that exceed expectations, only to see a brand’s manufacturer struggle to keep up with demand. It’s one of the costliest mistakes you can make. 

Our capsule supplement manufacturing capabilities allow us to work with growing and established brands that need 5,000 bottles or more.

Can They Scale With You?

We touched on this already, but it’s important enough to merit its own focus. 

Production capacity is often an afterthought, with many founders thinking they’ll be happy just selling 500 bottles, but you should be planning for success. If your product takes off and you need a rush order of thousands of units, you don’t want to discover in that moment you’ve chosen someone who can’t support your growth. 

Ask upfront: how can they handle scaling? Do they have high-speed, fully automated capsule-filling lines, or just one semi-manual machine? How quickly can they increase output? Do they run multiple shifts? How big is their facility?

If you choose a small operation primarily because they offer a very low MOQ, be aware they may lack the ability to support rapid growth. Larger manufacturers may require bigger initial orders, but they’ll have the resources to scale when the time is right.

Tip: It’s wise to get clarity on lead times for various order sizes as well. For example, a manufacturer might quote 4-6 weeks for 5,000 units but 8-10 weeks for 50,000 units. Understanding helps you plan inventory and marketing pushes. The last thing you want is to promise customers product, only to sell out because your manufacturer can’t deliver on time. 

Final Thoughts: Building a True Partnership

The right capsule manufacturer doesn’t just put pills in bottles. They build partnerships that will support your growth and safeguard your reputation. 

In my journey growing Steuart Nutrition, I’ve been the “second” manufacturer for quite a few brands. And when they discover a partner who shares your commitment to quality, can accommodate your needs as you scale, and communicate openly, they realize they’ve struck gold. We let brands focus on what they do best – building the business – while trusting that the production side is in good hands.

To recap, I recommend verifying certifications and compliance records, gauging a partner’s ability to grow with you, checking for experience with your product, and evaluating their customer service as critically as their pricing and MOQs. The right choice will save you countless headaches down the road.

Good luck with your supplement venture, and never hesitate to ask the hard questions before you commit. Your brand’s future may depend on it!

Ben Steuart — CEO & Owner, Steuart Nutrition

Ben Steuart is the co-founder and CEO of Steuart Nutrition, a contract manufacturing and supplement innovation partner for powder, liquid, and stick‑pack supplements. He launched the company in 2019 alongside his wife, Sarah, building on his lifelong roots in the food production industry, where he grew up working in his father's food-manufacturing business in Mabel, Minnesota.

Throughout his career, Ben has developed deep expertise in supplement manufacturing and business operations. At Steuart, he leads with a commitment to lean operations, fostering long-term partnerships, and delivering flexible, transparent service—prioritizing the client’s vision as much as his own. His leadership guided the business’s rapid expansion from a single facility to multiple locations, enabling agile responses to market needs—from producing hand sanitizer during the COVID‑19 pandemic to scaling CBD and nutrition supplement lines.