FAQ
Supplement manufacturing questions, answered
The questions founders ask most about making gummies, tablets and capsules: minimums, cost, timelines, formulas, testing and labels. Straight answers from the factory.
Getting started · Minimums and cost · Timeline and samples · Gummies · Tablets and capsules · Formulation and your formula · Quality, testing and compliance · Packaging and labeling · Working with MCM Labs
Last updated September 22, 2026
Getting started
How do I start my own supplement brand?
Start with a specific customer and a product with a reason to exist, then choose how you will make it. Most new brands work with a contract manufacturer rather than building a factory: you bring the brand, the customer and the sales plan; the manufacturer formulates, makes, tests and packs the product. The fastest, lowest-cost start is a ready-made (private label) formula with your label on it, which lets you test the market before paying for custom development. Before launch you will also need a compliant label, a business entity, product liability insurance and a plan for where you will sell. Send us a brief and we will tell you which route fits your budget and timeline. Private label supplements →
How do I find a good supplement manufacturer?
Talk to the factory, not a broker. Many companies that appear to be manufacturers resell someone else's production and add a markup and delays. Ask who owns the equipment, where your product will be made, what testing each batch gets and whether you receive a certificate of analysis (COA), how they handle a dose that does not fit the format, and who owns the formula. A good manufacturer answers quickly and tells you plainly when an idea will not work. At MCM Labs your brief goes to our chemist, and we reply within one business day.
How hard is it to start a supplement company?
Making the product is the easier part when you use a contract manufacturer. The hard parts are choosing a product people will buy again, getting the label and claims right, and paying for marketing after the first order. Keeping the first run small on a ready-made formula lowers the risk while you learn what sells.
Do most supplement brands make their own products?
No. Most supplement brands, including many large ones, use contract manufacturers. The brand owns the name, the customer and the marketing; the manufacturer handles formulation, production, testing and packaging.
How do I start a gummy company?
Decide on the gummy's job first: the customer, the benefit and the dose. Then check the dose fits: a 3 g gummy holds roughly 300 mg of active ingredients. Choose pectin or gelatin, flavor and packaging, and either put your label on a ready-made gummy formula or develop a custom one. Custom gummies typically take 3 to 4 months to reach finished product. Gummy manufacturing →
What should I look for in a supplement manufacturer, and what are the red flags?
Look for direct access to the people who make the product, clear answers on testing and COAs, honest limits on what a format can carry, a written rule on formula ownership, and packaging and label support. Red flags: slow or vague replies, no named facility, promising any dose in any format, refusing to show a COA, and minimums or fees that only appear after you commit.
Minimums and cost
What is your minimum order quantity (MOQ)?
We work with flexible entry volumes and a clear path to scale. The practical minimum depends on the format, the formula and the packaging: a ready-made formula usually starts lower than a custom one, and gummies differ from tablets and capsules. Send a brief with your product and target volume and we will quote a starting run and the tiers above it.
Are there low MOQ supplement manufacturers in the US?
Yes. Minimums vary widely between manufacturers and formats. Ready-made private label formulas usually have the lowest entry point because no development batch is needed. MCM Labs offers flexible entry volumes on gummies, tablets and capsules made in the USA. Private label supplements →
How much does it cost to start a supplement brand?
The main costs are the first production order, packaging and labels, any development fee for a custom formula, and the marketing to sell it. The biggest lever is the route you choose: a ready-made formula avoids most development cost, while a ground-up custom formula carries a development fee and a larger first order. We price each project after seeing the brief rather than quoting generic numbers that will not match your product.
How much does it cost to manufacture a supplement?
Per-unit cost depends on the ingredients and their doses, the format (capsules are usually the least expensive to make, gummies the most), the packaging, and the order size. Larger runs lower the unit cost. Send a brief and we will price your parameters.
How much does it cost to make gummies?
Gummies are the most expensive and technically demanding of the common formats, because of the cook, curing, coating and moisture control. Cost is driven by the actives and doses, sugar or sugar-free base, pectin or gelatin, flavor work, packaging and run size. A ready-made gummy formula costs far less to launch than a custom gummy. Gummy manufacturing →
Are there setup or development fees?
A ready-made formula needs little or no development fee. Modifying an existing formula or building a new one carries a development fee, and part of it is credited toward your first production order. We explain the fee on the call, after we understand the project.
Timeline and samples
How long does it take to manufacture supplements?
Estimates by route: a ready-made formula takes about one to two weeks on our side once your label artwork is approved. Custom tablets and capsules typically take 1 to 2 months. Custom gummies typically take 3 to 4 months, or 4 to 6 weeks when everything is already in place, because the development batch and packaging each take about a month. Packaging lead time is often the longest single item, so we order it while development runs.
Can you send me samples?
On a ready-made formula, ask and we will arrange samples. On a custom gummy, the development batch is a real production-scale run of about 25,000 gummies, which gives you samples for testing, creators or a soft launch. Tablet and capsule samples come back quickly because there is no cook step.
Gummies
How are gummy vitamins made?
The gummy mass (sugar or sugar substitutes, pectin or gelatin, water, flavor and color) is cooked at around 160 °C, the active ingredients are added, and the mix is deposited into moulds. The gummies cure to the right texture, are released and coated (sugar or oil), then tested and packed with a desiccant. Some actives lose 10 to 20 percent in the cook, so a good manufacturer overdoses to land on the label claim and confirms it with a COA from the full run. Gummy manufacturing →
Pectin vs gelatin gummies: what's the difference?
Pectin is plant-based, suits vegan products and tolerates heat better. Gelatin is animal-derived and gives a softer, bouncier chew but softens at lower temperatures. The choice depends on your customer, your dose and where the product ships. Gummy manufacturing →
Do you make vegan and sugar-free gummies?
Yes. Vegan gummies use a pectin base. Sugar-free gummies use polyols and sweetener systems and go through their own sensory development. Gummy manufacturing →
Will gummies melt in hot weather or during shipping?
Any gummy can deform in extreme heat. Pectin holds up better than gelatin, every bottle gets a desiccant, and for hot-weather shipping we plan the packaging and shipping method up front. Gummy manufacturing →
Are gummy vitamins as effective as pills?
They can be, if the dose on the label is actually in the gummy. The limit is space: a 3 g gummy carries roughly 300 mg of active ingredients, while a tablet can carry up to about 2 g. For low-dose vitamins a gummy works well and people enjoy taking it; for large doses a tablet or capsule usually delivers the label claim more practically.
What is the shelf life of gummy supplements?
Shelf life is set by stability data for each formula and package, not by a rule of thumb. Moisture is the main enemy of gummies, which is why packaging and a desiccant matter as much as the formula.
Can you make custom gummy shapes, flavors and colors?
Yes: bear, heart, dome, diamond, square, cube, bolt, ring, or a custom mould for your brand, with custom flavors and natural colors. Gummy manufacturing →
Tablets and capsules
Tablet vs capsule: which is better?
Tablets hold 60 to 80 percent active by weight, up to about 2 g, and can be chewable, coated or scored. Capsules hold close to 100 percent active with almost no excipients and hide taste completely, but the shell limits the dose per capsule. The better choice depends on your dose, your ingredient and your customer. Tablet manufacturing →
Can you make chewable tablets?
Yes, with confectionery-style flavor systems in smooth, creamy or crunchy textures. Tablet manufacturing →
Should I choose gelatin or vegetable capsules?
Gelatin capsules are animal-derived and economical. Vegetarian HPMC capsules are plant-based and suit vegan products. If your brand promises plant-based, choose HPMC. Capsule manufacturing →
Do capsules absorb better than gummies?
Not automatically. Absorption depends mostly on the ingredient and its form. Capsules are good at carrying a large, nearly pure dose with no taste to mask. Capsule manufacturing →
Formulation and your formula
How can I create a custom supplement formula?
Start with the customer and the outcome, choose actives and doses the evidence supports, then pick the format that can carry that dose. A manufacturer's formulator turns it into a formula, runs prototypes and scales it up. We check feasibility before any development fee. Supplement formulation →
Do I own the formula?
On a ground-up custom project, you own the final approved formula once development invoices are paid and the first production order is complete. Our pre-existing platforms, processes and supplier relationships stay ours. Supplement formulation →
What stops a manufacturer from stealing my formula?
A written agreement and the manufacturer's own rules. Ask for a confidentiality agreement before sharing a formula. At MCM Labs client formulas, concepts and supplier combinations never feed our own product ideas. Supplement formulation →
Should I use a stock formula or a custom formula?
Stock (ready-made) formulas are fastest and cheapest to launch. Custom formulas make sense when the formula itself is your advantage. Many brands start with a stock formula and move to custom once they know what sells. Private label supplements →
What is the difference between private label and white label supplements?
White label is a generic finished product sold under many brands with only the label changed. Private label is made for your brand and usually customized in flavor, dose, format or packaging. Private label supplements →
Quality, testing and compliance
Do I need FDA approval to sell supplements?
No. The FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are sold. Manufacturers must follow current Good Manufacturing Practice rules (21 CFR Part 111), labels must follow FDA labeling rules, and any structure/function claim needs the FDA disclaimer and a notification to the FDA within 30 days of marketing. A new dietary ingredient may need a pre-market notification. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do I need a license to sell supplements in the US?
There is no federal license to sell dietary supplements, but you need a registered business, any state or local business licenses and sales-tax permits where you sell, and a compliant label. Some states and retailers add their own requirements, and product liability insurance is strongly recommended. This is general information, not legal advice; check with counsel for your states.
Is your facility cGMP certified and FDA registered?
Our gummies are made in a GMP-certified, FDA-registered facility in the USA. Our Las Vegas tablet and capsule facility is being built to the same current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standard and will be certified before it opens for production. We will always tell you exactly where your product will be made. cGMP is the FDA's set of rules for how supplements are made, tested and documented.
What testing do you do, and do I get a certificate of analysis?
Each production batch is tested against its specification and label claim, and you receive a certificate of analysis (COA). On gummies the COA that matters is the one from the full-scale run, because heat in the cook changes some actives; we test the real batch, not just a bench sample.
Are your products made in the USA?
Yes. MCM Labs products are made in the United States.
Packaging and labeling
What is required on a supplement label?
A statement of identity, net quantity, a Supplement Facts panel, other ingredients, the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor, allergen information, and the FDA disclaimer for any structure/function claim. Have your final label reviewed; this is general information, not legal advice. Supplement packaging →
Do you help with labels?
We send a label template for your artwork and confirm the Supplement Facts panel, doses and claims with you before anything is made. Supplement packaging →
What packaging options do you offer?
Bottles with a desiccant, stand-up pouches, one- to five-count sachets and flow wrap, stick packs, and blister packs through a partner. Client-supplied packaging is welcome. Supplement packaging →
Do you offer fulfillment or drop shipping?
We case-pack and ship finished product to you or your fulfillment or Amazon prep partner. Tell us how you sell and we will set up the pack-out for that channel. Supplement packaging →
Can I sell my supplements on Amazon?
Yes, and many brands do. Amazon asks supplement sellers for extra documentation, commonly including product testing and a COA, and packaging must meet its prep rules. Plan for this with your manufacturer before the first run.
Working with MCM Labs
How do I get started with MCM Labs?
Send a short brief: the product idea, the active and dose you have in mind, the channel you sell into and the volume you are planning. We reply within one business day with questions, then we price your parameters and set up a call with the team.
Will you sign an NDA or confidentiality agreement?
Yes. Ask before you share a formula or other sensitive details and we will sign one first.
Where is MCM Labs located?
MCM Labs is at 5260 S Decatur Blvd, Suite 5, Las Vegas, Nevada 89118, and works with brands across the United States. Reach us at info@mcm-labs.com or (702) 728-0966.
Tell us what you're making. We'll come back with a plan.
A short brief is enough: the product idea, the active and dose you have in mind, the channel you're selling into, and the volume you're planning for. We reply within one business day.
info@mcm-labs.com · (702) 728-0966