How to Find a Supplement Manufacturer

With over 70% of Australians purchasing complementary medicines, the market for vitamins and health supplements is hugely competitive. In 2022, the vitamin and supplement market in Australia had an estimated value of $4.58 billion. Due to rising consumer interest in health and fitness, the vitamin and supplement market is forecasted to grow to over twice this value, reaching $9.81 billion in 2030.

For businesses looking to capitalise on the opportunities in the supplement market, success will come down to finding the right supplement manufacturer that can deliver a unique and high-quality product. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to find a supplement manufacturer in Australia that can meet your business goals.

Step 1: Determine Your Supplement Manufacturing Needs 

First things first - hone in on the supplement product your business will focus on. There is a wide range of supplement product types on the market including vitamins and minerals, health supplements, fitness supplements, probiotics and weight management supplements. Each of these products can be produced in different forms, from tablets to liquids and hard capsules.

Having a basic idea of the type and form of supplement product to be created is a key part of creating a unique product that stands out in the market — producing a product with no differentiating features is going to be an expensive and fruitless exercise. As long as your business has a general idea of the product USPs and target market, the finer details can be ironed out later on.here ...

 Step 2: Research Supplement Manufacturers

Research supplement manufacturers and compare different services offered. Not all manufacturers will offer the same level or breadth of manufacturing capability — some may specialise in certain types of supplements only, while others may not be able to produce supplements in specific forms.

There are also two major types of supplement manufacturing services — contract manufacturing and private label manufacturing.

With contract manufacturing, supplement products are created based on a contract agreement that specifies the volume and type of supplements. Businesses work with a supplement manufacturer to create a custom formulation through R&D, which is then refined and produced as a unique product. The business retains full ownership of the formulation and product branding.

Private label manufacturing offers a faster and more straightforward way for businesses to produce a custom-branded and ready-to-ship batch of supplement products. Supplement manufacturers offer a selection of pre-existing formulations that businesses choose from. The supplement products are then produced and labelled with custom branding to be sold by the business. 

 Step 3: Assess Credentials and Quality Control

As you can imagine, health supplements are heavily regulated due to the impact that consumable products can have on the health of consumers. As such, there are many strict regulations for supplement manufacturing, from the approval of selected ingredients for use in formulations, to quality control within the manufacturing process.

When looking for a supplement manufacturer, carefully evaluate the credentials and certifications held by manufacturers to ensure that they meet the regulations of the market where the product will be sold.

In Australia, supplement products are regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to ensure that they meet safety and quality standards. All supplement manufacturers operating in Australia must have TGA-licensed facilities and use ingredients that are from the TGA-approved list.

Businesses that plan to include novel ingredients that are not on the TGA-approved list should work with a supplement manufacturer that understands how to handle the registration process to have it evaluated and obtain approval. 

 Step 4: Additional Services

For supplement products, manufacturing is only one part of the process — packaging, labelling, and distribution are equally essential parts of getting new products on shelves. Some supplement manufacturers offer additional services that cover product packaging and labelling as a turnkey solution for businesses that may not have the resources internally.

These services usually come at an additional cost to general manufacturing services, but are well worth the expense for businesses to get their hands on a streamlined way to prepare their products for the market. 

 Step 5: Obtain Quotes and Supplement Samples

Part of the evaluation process for supplement manufacturers is to obtain quotes for their services. Businesses can request a quote from supplement manufacturers by submitting details of their ideal product (including volume, desired ingredients, timeline, etc.).

Cost isn't the only factor; however, a good product is often defined by its quality. Supplement manufacturers can also provide samples of their production capabilities to businesses to showcase the quality of their manufacturing services.

By taking these into consideration, businesses will be able to narrow down the ideal choice for a supplement manufacturer in Australia. 

 Step 6: Make a Decision and Sign an Agreement 

The final step is to make a decision on the supplement manufacturer that will be responsible for the production of the supplement products. The agreement contract should outline key details such as the cost and timeline for production, quality control measures involved, any additional services required, and the ownership of intellectual property for custom formulations.