News & Events, Thought Leadership
African Swine Fever And Two-Piece Capsules – What you need to know
African Swine Fever (ASF) is an infectious viral disease impacting pigs across the globe. The ASF virus is incredibly contagious and is killing pigs and wild boars in Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe. Having reported 111 outbreaks of African Swine Fever in 28 provinces and regions since August 2018, China is facing a major crisis for the pig production sector. More than 950,000 pigs in China were culled as a preventative measure.
Does this affect my capsules?
When producing gelatin capsules, using quality raw materials is the first step in creating a superior product. In an effort to exceed quality standards, CapsCanada never uses porcine as an ingredient in any of our capsules. Our gelatin capsules are made of 100% pharmaceutical grade bovine hide. CapsCanada only uses Kosher and Halal gelatin that is certified BSE/TSE free to guarantee a premium gelatin capsule that outperforms other capsules. We’ve established a strict set of quality standards which includes testing of all raw materials as well as finished products, prior to leaving our factories.
“The raw ingredient quality of our hard-shell capsules impact their performance during filling and the performance of the final drug product upon storage and administration to patients. A commitment to quality and continuous improvement is essential to ensuring the production of consistent capsules with robust performance characteristics.”- Jonathan Gilinski, Executive Director
Should I be worried if there is porcine in my capsule?
Most viruses demonstrate some degree of host restriction. The ASF virus, a disease that only effects swine, is not an immediate threat to humans, though preventive measures should be taken. Although not a direct threat to public health, the virus does still warrant major safety concerns. The best method of preventing any ASF concern is selecting a capsule supplier like CapsCanada, that only uses quality bovine hide gelatin to produce their capsules
The CapsCanada Difference
For drug manufacturers, having a dependable capsule supplier is vital to the organization overall. Unlike other capsule manufacturers, CapsCanada addresses dependability and quality concerns by owning our entire gelatin capsule supply chain, starting with an internal grass fed supply of cattle. This unique vertical integration model guarantees the quality of our gelatin and enables us to provide long-term, continuous supply chain support, from sourcing to distribution.
For CapsCanada, the raw material qualification process includes a review of supplier documentation, identity and confirmatory testing of samples to verify conformance to CapsCanada’s quality and safety specifications.
With a complete understanding of 100% bovine hide based capsule manufacturing, we are able to provide proactive solutions for our customers during times of ASF outbreak. CapsCanada embodies the definition of a reliable primary supplier and full development partner for capsule manufacturing.
