NOW phasing in Veg Capsules, phasing out magnesium stearate
For most of its capsule products, NOW (Bloomingdale, IL) is transitioning away from animal-source gelatin to Veg Capsules, and substituting magnesium stearate with stearic acid.
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For most of its capsule products, NOW (Bloomingdale, IL) is transitioning away from animal-source gelatin to Veg Capsules, made from vegetarian-friendly cellulose material from pine trees that is Kosher, Halal, certified by the Vegetarian and Vegan Action Society, Non-GMO Project verified, gluten-free, and preservative-free.
“To date, 97% of our capsule products are in Veg Capsules,” said Dan Richard, vice president of global sales and marketing, in a press release. “NOW is Capsugel’s largest US customer for Veg Capsules.”
NOW has also been eliminating magnesium stearate from most encapsulated products. Although magnesium stearate is GRAS (generally recognized as safe), consumers have expressed a preference for avoiding it. NOW has mostly substituted magnesium stearate with stearic acid, a common dietary fat.
