Private Label Softgel Manufacturing in Europe: Stock or Custom Softgel?

The first decision in a private label softgel project is stock or custom, and it changes the minimum, the time and the documents. At PharmaEurope a ready-made softgel starts from 100 units as white label (our formula and pack, your label) and from 500 pcs under your own label and pack, in production from 2 weeks. A softgel formula of your own starts from 1,000,000 capsules and its production time is quoted per project, because the fill is tested against the shell on a trial batch first. Softgels are made at our plant in the European Union, which is ISO 22000, GMP and HACCP certified and FDA registered, and every batch ships with a Certificate of Analysis and a 24-month standard shelf life.

The technical side of the format (shell, fill, packs and bottle sizes) is on our softgel manufacturing page. This guide is about the buyer's route: which option to take, what you send, and what you get back.

Stock softgel or custom softgel: what changes in MOQ, time and documents

Three routes lead to a softgel under your brand, and the minimum rises from 100 units to 1,000,000 capsules as you move from a ready-made product to your own formula.

The jump to a million capsules has a mechanical reason. A softgel is formed and sealed around its fill in one step, with a die that defines its shape and size. Switching that shape-specific tooling is a bigger job than resetting a dose, so a custom softgel run has to absorb it. The full explanation is on the minimum order quantity page.

When is a stock softgel enough?

A stock softgel is enough when your product is one of the oils we already make and the brand, the pack and the price are where you want to compete. The ready-made range covers the main softgel categories:

• Vitamin D3 at 2000, 4000 and 5000 IU (see vitamin D supplement manufacturing);
• Omega-3 fish oil at triple strength (500 mg EPA / 250 mg DHA) and double strength (330 mg EPA / 220 mg DHA), omega-3 with vitamin E at 500 and 1000 mg, and Super Omega 3-6-9 (see omega-3 supplement manufacturing);
• Plant oils and lecithin: flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, lecithin with vitamin E.

On a stock softgel your decisions are commercial rather than technical: the count per bottle (30, 60, 90 or 120 for ready-made formulas), the pack, and the label. Count follows the daily serving: a one-a-day product sells in 30s and 60s, a three-a-day product needs 90 or 120 to last a month. The pack is the one technical choice, because an oil oxidises. Amber or opaque bottles keep light off it, an induction seal keeps air out until opening, and a blister protects each capsule at a higher cost per unit. A zip-lock bag suits refills and sampling rather than a retail omega-3.

When does a brand need its own softgel formula?

A brand needs its own softgel formula when the oil, the blend or the dose it wants is not in the ready-made range and the volume justifies a run from 1,000,000 capsules. Typical reasons are a specific oil source, a combination of oils and fat-soluble vitamins that is not in the catalogue, or a softgel size and shape of your own.

Below that volume, the next step is to check the closest stock softgel. A ready-made oil with your own count, pack and label starts from 500 pcs and runs from 2 weeks, and it lets the brand sell while the volume for a custom run builds up.

What happens on the line with a custom softgel fill

A custom fill is tested against the shell before anything is scaled, because the two react with each other over time. The shell is gelatine kept soft by glycerin and water, and some fills draw that water out or migrate into the shell. A softgel that leaks, sticks or deforms in the warehouse was decided at the formulation stage.

• Raw materials. For each oil we ask the supplier for a specification and a Certificate of Analysis, and check them per batch: the same oil name from a new supplier is a different product until proved otherwise.
• Antioxidant system. Oils oxidise, and oxidation sets the shelf-life clock. Our omega-3 formulas carry DL-alpha tocopherol, vitamin E working as an antioxidant inside the capsule; a custom fill gets its antioxidant confirmed on trial.
• Specification. Softgel count per pack and shelf life follow the fill and are fixed on the trial batch. The 24-month standard is the starting point; the printed date is the one the stability data supports.
• Storage and transport. Heat and humidity deform softgels, so storage conditions go into the specification rather than being left to the warehouse.

From brief to first batch: the softgel route step by step

A stock softgel goes through five steps and is in production from 2 weeks; a custom softgel adds compatibility work and a trial, so its timeline is quoted per project.

1. Brief. You send the formula you want (ready-made name or your fill), the dose per serving, the quantity and the market. PharmaEurope replies within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.
2. Route and quote. We confirm white label, private label on a stock softgel, or a custom formula, and quote the quantity you named.
3. Trial (custom only). Fill and shell compatibility, the antioxidant system and the trial batch.
4. Pack and label. We design the label around your brand or check your artwork. Fish is an allergen and is declared on the label of every fish oil product.
5. Production. Softgels are counted into bottles on a Cremer CF 1220 line and cartoned on an IMA IC 150 machine.
6. Documents and delivery. Certificate of Analysis and the batch documents go with the shipment. Delivery is worldwide, EXW as standard, FCA or DAP on request.

What if my softgel product needs a vegetarian claim?

A vegetarian or vegan product moves to a different format, because a softgel shell is gelatine and gelatine is animal-derived. The usual next step is an HPMC hard capsule, the plant-derived shell used in most of our ready-made capsule formulas, or a powder. Capsules start from the same 100 units as white label and 500 bottles under your own label, so the minimum stays close to the softgel route.

Questions brands ask before a softgel order

What is the minimum order for private label softgels?

PharmaEurope makes ready-made softgels from 100 units as white label and from 500 pcs under your own label and pack, with production from 2 weeks. A softgel formula developed to your specification starts from 1,000,000 capsules, with the timeline quoted per project, because the shell is formed around the fill with shape-specific tooling.

Can I put my brand on your omega-3 softgels?

Yes. PharmaEurope produces omega-3 softgels at triple strength (500 mg EPA / 250 mg DHA), double strength (330 mg EPA / 220 mg DHA), with vitamin E, and as Super Omega 3-6-9. Any of them can carry your label without reformulation, from 100 units as white label. The formulas are shared, so another brand may sell the same composition.

How long does a private label softgel take?

A ready-made softgel under your brand is in production at PharmaEurope from 2 weeks, whether you take the white label or the private label route. A softgel formula of your own is quoted per project, because the fill is tested against the gelatine shell and the antioxidant system is confirmed on a trial batch before scaling.

What documents do I get with a softgel batch?

Every softgel batch from PharmaEurope comes with a Certificate of Analysis, the product specification, raw material documentation, an allergen statement and a shelf-life statement. The plant is ISO 22000, GMP and HACCP certified and FDA registered, which is a registration rather than an approval. Copies of the certificates are sent to clients on request.

Can I start on a stock softgel and switch to my own formula later?

Yes, and it is a practical order for a new brand. PharmaEurope can put your label on a stock softgel from 100 units, in production from 2 weeks, while you build sales. When the volume reaches the 1,000,000-capsule custom minimum, the own formula goes through compatibility testing and a trial batch before it replaces the stock product.

How is a fish oil softgel kept from going rancid?

PharmaEurope protects the oil in two places. Inside the capsule, the omega-3 formulas carry DL-alpha tocopherol as an antioxidant. Outside it, the pack does the work: amber or opaque bottles keep light out, and induction seals and blisters keep air away. The standard shelf life is 24 months, confirmed in the specification.

Which softgel count per bottle should I choose?

Ready-made softgels from PharmaEurope are packed 30, 60, 90 or 120 to a bottle, and the count should follow the daily serving. A one-a-day product sells in 30s and 60s; a three-a-day product needs 90 or 120 to last a month.

Related guides

• Capsules vs tablets vs softgels vs powders
• Supplement shelf life in Europe
• EU food supplement label requirements

Sources

• PharmaEurope softgel manufacturing, minimum order quantities and certifications.
• PharmaEurope omega-3 and vitamin D ingredient pages.

Figures checked against our published pages on 26 October 2026.