UK Soft Gelatin Capsules Market Outlook to 2030

The report titled “UK Soft Gelatin Capsules Market Outlook to 2030 - By Shell Type, By Fill/Application, By Release Profile, By End Use, By Distribution Channel, and By Region” provides a comprehensive analysis of the soft gelatin capsules market in the UK. The report covers an overview and genesis of the industry, overall market size in terms of revenue, market segmentation; trends and developments, regulatory landscape, customer level profiling, issues and challenges, and competitive landscape including competition scenario, cross-comparison, opportunities and bottlenecks, and company profiling of major players in the soft gelatin capsules market. The report concludes with future market projections based on product pipelines, delivery technologies, channels and regions, cause-and-effect relationships, and success case studies highlighting the major opportunities and cautions.

UK Soft Gelatin Capsules Market Overview and Size

The UK soft gel capsules market is valued at USD 468.75 million, based on a five-year historical analysis of the category; the next period shows USD 500.0 million, indicating continued demand from nutraceutical and OTC portfolios as brands prioritise bioavailability, swallowability, and odour/taste masking formats. 

England leads due to concentration of brand owners, pharmacy chains and e-commerce hubs—London (brand HQs, investor access), the South East/Midlands (retail distribution and packaging), and South Wales (Tredegar softgel manufacturing cluster via HBI EuroCaps). Category pull is reinforced by high-velocity supplement brands (e.g., Vitabiotics sales £196.5 million) and expanding sports-nutrition nodes (Applied Nutrition revenue £86.2 million), which favour softgel SKUs in omega-3, vitamins and botanicals. Proximate EU supply nodes (Germany, Netherlands) add resilience via CDMO networks serving UK labels.

What Factors are Leading to the Growth of the UK Soft Gelatin Capsules Market:

High-volume dispensing and dense retail access powering softgel throughput: England’s primary-care network dispensed 1.21 billion prescription items, with 1.08 billion issued via the Electronic Prescription Service—an infrastructure that favours swallow-easy formats for lipids and fat-soluble actives commonly presented as softgels. At the last count, there were 12,009 active community pharmacies able to stock OTC and supplement ranges alongside prescribed products, ensuring national availability and rapid product rotation. Macro demand is underpinned by a UK population of 69,281,400, sustaining large cohorts for vitamin D, omega-3, and condition-specific softgels across pharmacy and grocery. Together, the item flow, digital rails, and outlet density create reliable pull for softgel SKUs and private-label tenders.

Ageing demographics expanding category use-cases for softgels: An older population drives daily-dose supplementation and easier-to-swallow dosage forms. Parliamentary analysis shows 12.7 million people aged 65+ in the UK, indicating a large, chronic-care and prevention-oriented cohort for omega-3, vitamin D, and GI-friendly softgels. The overall population reached 69.3 million, adding absolute headroom for pharmacy and e-commerce channels that prioritise compliant, tamper-evident formats. In parallel, England’s dispensing system still processes over 1.1 billion items through community pharmacies, keeping adherence tools (mini-softgels, odour-masked oils) in focus for older users. These macro numbers collectively support predictable demand for lipid-based and targeted-release softgels across Rx/OTC and food-supplement boundaries.

Domestic resource base and trade flows securing inputs for softgel fills: Softgel portfolios rely on fish oils and animal/alternative gelatins. UK vessels landed 719,000 tonnes of sea fish, while total imports of fish and fish products reached 743,000 tonnes, ensuring sustained access to omega-3 inputs even when domestic catches vary. On the gelatin side, the UK cattle and calf population stands just below 9.2 million, a critical baseline for compliant bovine-gelatin supply chains, complemented by EU proximity for additional sourcing. These volumes, combined with established rendering and purification standards, give formulators confidence in lipid availability and shell materials continuity—key for large pharmacy ranges and private-label campaigns that depend on uninterrupted production.

Which Industry Challenges Have Impacted the Growth of the UK Soft Gelatin Capsules Market:

Input volatility and herd dynamics tighten gelatin availability: Bovine-gelatin shells dominate many UK softgels, making livestock trends strategically relevant. Government statistics place UK cattle and calves at just under 9.2 million, with official releases noting declines into 2024, signalling pressure on domestic collagen sources. Any contraction in breeding herds complicates long-term gel mass planning, validation batches, and multi-month campaign scheduling on rotary-die lines. While EU and global sourcing mitigate shocks, QA teams must maintain country-of-origin traceability and TSE/BSE documentation for every lot—an administrative and supply-risk load amplified when local heads fall and reliance shifts to imports and alternative shells.

Import dependence for marine lipids exposes operations to logistics and quality controls: Despite strong domestic fisheries, the UK relied on 743,000 tonnes of imported fish and fish products, with a separate record of 611,000 tonnes of imported sea fish alone. This scale of inbound supply means oxidation management, transport temperatures, and customs lead-times materially affect softgel peroxide/anisidine metrics and release testing cadence. As landings abroad by UK vessels hit 279,000 tonnes, supply chains become multi-jurisdictional, raising variance in oil characteristics and CoA formats. These realities increase QA/QP workload and buffer-stock needs to keep omega-3 and specialty-lipid SKUs on shelf without deviation notices.

Capacity planning under tight labour and compliance windows: Manufacturing remains sensitive to skilled-labour availability and inspection timing. The UK vacancy series shows persistently elevated job openings across the economy, with the latest headline count at 728,000 vacancies, complicating recruitment for GMP/validation roles. Concurrently, the medicines regulator confirmed that GMP/GDP certificate validity was extended until the end of 2024, while on-site inspections resumed—requiring plants to be audit-ready as extensions roll off. Together, staffing constraints and inspection scheduling drive contingency planning on campaign lengths, tech-transfer slots, and release resources for pharma-grade and high-spec nutraceutical softgels.

What are the Regulations and Initiatives which have Governed the Market:

MHRA Manufacturer’s/Importer’s Authorisation (MIA/MIA-IMP) and GMP oversight: Medicinal softgels supplied to the UK require MHRA licensure and ongoing GMP compliance. The regulator confirmed automatic extension of GMP/GDP certificate validity until the end of 2024, alongside the return of on-site inspections, tightening audit preparedness for dosage-form manufacturers and importers. With England’s dispensing system pushing 1.21 billion items and 1.08 billion EPS issues through regulated channels, adherence to GMP/GDP across production and wholesale distribution remains the legal backbone for Rx/OTC softgel flows from factory to pharmacy.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) framework for food supplements and borderline products: Softgels marketed as food supplements must meet FSA rules on composition, labelling, and claims, operating alongside trading-standards enforcement. The retail system servicing 12,009 active community pharmacies distributes large volumes of supplement SKUs, increasing exposure to labelling checks and claim scrutiny. The UK population of 69,281,400 further amplifies oversight breadth across nations and regions. While the GB regime differs from EU processes applying in Northern Ireland, businesses must evidence safety and composition for oil-filled capsules and keep technical files ready for inspection.

Fisheries and animal-by-product rules shaping softgel inputs: Omega-3 oils and gelatin sourcing sit under UK fisheries and animal-by-product controls. Official fisheries statistics logged 719,000 tonnes of UK vessel landings and 743,000 tonnes of total fish and fish-product imports; rendering and collagen use must meet hygiene and traceability requirements through approved establishments. On the bovine side, the cattle and calf population just under 9.2 million feeds into regulated supply chains that require TSE/BSE statements and gel mass provenance down to lot level. Compliance with these numeric realities anchors supplier qualification and audit scopes for softgel manufacturers.

UK Soft Gelatin Capsules Market Segmentation

By Shell Type: UK Soft Gelatin Capsules market is segmented by shell into bovine gelatin, fish gelatin, vegetarian/carrageenan and tapioca/starch blends. Recently, bovine gelatin has a dominant market share in the UK under the segmentation shell type, driven by reliable film-forming properties, seam integrity on rotary-die lines, and wide supplier availability with TSE/BSE-compliant documentation. Brand owners value its predictable rheology and compatibility with lipophilic fills such as omega-3 and vitamin D, enabling high throughput with tight weight-variation control. Fish gelatin demand is rising for pescatarian/halal positioning, while vegetarian shells scale in TiO₂-free and clean-label applications.

By Fill/Application: UK Soft Gelatin Capsules market is segmented by fill into omega-3 & specialty lipids, vitamins & multivitamins, botanicals & herbals, OTC pharmaceuticals, and beauty-from-within actives. Recently, omega-3 & specialty lipids have a dominant market share under this segmentation, due to the natural fit of oil-based actives with softgel delivery, lower peroxide/anisidine benchmarks enforced by leading retailers, and strong consumer familiarity with fish-oil capsules. The format also supports deodorised concentrates, mini-softgels for better adherence, and nitrogen-blanketed processing—making it the default in heart-health, pregnancy and joint-health ranges across pharmacies and online channels.

Competitive Landscape in UK Soft Gelatin Capsules Market 

The UK soft gel capsules market exhibits concentrated capabilities among global CDMOs and specialised UK/EU players, with brand-side demand anchored by pharmacy chains, grocery health aisles and D2C platforms. Scale producers bring multi-line rotary-die assets, TiO₂-free colour systems and enteric technologies, while UK private-label programmes and sports-nutrition brands intensify SKU churn. This consolidation highlights the significant influence of a few technology-rich manufacturers alongside agile private-label suppliers.

Some of the Recent Competitor Trends and Key Information About Competitors Include:

Catalent Softgel & Oral Technologies: As one of the largest global softgel manufacturers, Catalent has expanded its UK/EU operations by investing in TiO₂-free capsule technology and enhancing its enteric-release platforms, aligning with retailer and regulatory compliance shifts.

HBI EuroCaps (UK): A domestic leader in nutraceutical softgels, HBI EuroCaps has strengthened its private-label partnerships with UK retailers in 2024, while scaling up production of vegetarian and carrageenan-based capsules to meet clean-label demand.

Aenova Group (Swiss Caps): With a strong presence in Europe, Aenova has upgraded its high-capacity rotary-die lines to support large-scale nutraceutical and OTC campaigns, and introduced mini-softgels for omega-3 and vitamin D products in the UK market.

SIRIO Europe (incl. Ayanda): SIRIO has leveraged its Nordic fish-oil expertise and expanded its UK reach with condition-specific formulations such as heart health and cognitive-support softgels. The company has also increased focus on sustainability, including solvent-recovery investments.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon): Patheon’s UK/EU facilities are focusing on pharmaceutical-grade softgels, particularly for Rx categories such as analgesics and GI therapies. In 2024, the company enhanced its tech-transfer programs for UK pharma clients, enabling faster commercialization of liquid-filled formulations.

What Lies Ahead for UK Soft Gelatin Capsules Market?

The UK soft gelatin capsules market is projected to grow steadily toward 2030, supported by strong consumer adoption of nutraceuticals, expansion of e-commerce retailing, and tightening compliance that favours high-quality GMP-certified producers. Growth will be reinforced by macro trends such as an ageing population, dense pharmacy networks, and reliable access to marine oils and bovine gelatin inputs. Together, these fundamentals create an ecosystem where both global CDMOs and domestic suppliers can scale portfolios across pharmaceuticals, OTC, and food supplements.

Rise of Vegetarian and TiO₂-Free Softgels: The future of the UK softgel market is likely to see accelerated adoption of vegetarian and carrageenan/tapioca-based shells. This shift is driven by clean-label demand, regulatory scrutiny of titanium dioxide (TiO₂), and greater alignment with retailer sustainability scorecards. Companies are investing in alternative shell polymers to retain seam integrity and dissolution reliability while offering label-friendly products.

Focus on Targeted and Outcome-Based Formulations: As brand owners and retailers increasingly seek tangible health outcomes, there will be a greater focus on targeted formulations such as enteric-coated fish-oil softgels, mini-softgels for paediatrics, and beauty-from-within capsules for skin, hair, and nail health. This trend ensures that capsule launches are closely tied to specific consumer use-cases and demonstrable clinical benefits.

Expansion of Category-Specific Demand: Demand for softgels is expected to expand significantly in categories like omega-3, vitamin D, and probiotics, which have strong clinical backing in the UK market. The ageing demographic, with 12.7 million people aged 65+, represents a natural demand base for joint health, cognitive, and heart-health formulations—all of which are traditionally delivered in softgel form.

Leveraging Technology and Automation: The use of in-line weight monitoring, nitrogen blanketing, and solvent-recovery systems will become mainstream in UK plants, improving yields and lowering environmental footprints. Automation will not only enhance consistency but also support large-scale retailer programs where turnaround times and batch reproducibility are critical.

UK Soft Gelatin Capsules Market Segmentation

By Shell Type

• Bovine Gelatin Capsules

• Fish Gelatin Capsules

• Vegetarian / Carrageenan Capsules

• Tapioca / Starch Blends

By Fill / Application

• Omega-3 & Specialty Lipids

• Vitamins & Multivitamins

• Botanicals & Herbals

• OTC Pharmaceuticals (Analgesics, Cough & Cold, GI)

• Beauty-from-Within Actives (Collagen, Biotin, Hyaluronic Acid)

By Release Profile

• Immediate Release Capsules

• Enteric / Acid-Resistant Capsules

• Sustained / Modified Release Capsules

• Chewable Softgels

• Mini-Softgels

By End Use

• Pharmaceuticals (Rx & OTC)

• Nutraceuticals & Dietary Supplements

• Sports Nutrition

• Cosmetics & Beauty-from-Within

• Veterinary Health

By Distribution Channel

• Retail Pharmacies

• Grocery & Health-Food Chains

• E-commerce / D2C Platforms

• Hospitals & Institutional Sales

• Export / Private-Label Programs

Players Mentioned in the Report:

• Catalent Softgel & Oral Technologies

• HBI EuroCaps (UK)

• Aenova Group (incl. Swiss Caps)

• SIRIO Europe (incl. Ayanda)

• Softigel by Procaps

• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon)

• Captek Softgel International

• Robinson Pharma

• Best Formulations

• Geltec

• Alpex/Strides Softgel Division

• Sirio Pharma (Global)

• Lunan Pharma Softgel

• Nature’s Value / Santa Cruz Nutritionals

• Ayanda.

Key Target Audience

• Brand owners — pharmaceuticals (Rx/OTC)

• Nutraceutical & sports-nutrition brands

• Retail pharmacy chains and grocery health buyers

• E-commerce/D2C health platforms

• Investments and venture capitalist firms (growth equity & buy-out funds)

• Government and regulatory bodies (MHRA, Food Standards Agency)

• Packaging & printing converters (blister/bottle, laser marking)

• Raw-material suppliers

Time Period:

Historical Period: 2019-2024

Base Year: 2025

Forecast Period: 2025-2030