Granules and Pellets Manufacturer — Private Label Granules, Custom Pellets & Particle Engineering OEM

Most contract manufacturers open a particle project with one question: "Do you want granules or pellets?" Granules and pellets are the two workhorse particle formats in dietary supplements, but that question is the wrong place to start.

The right conversation begins with your active ingredient and your delivery target. Is the active heat-sensitive — probiotics, enzymes, vitamin C or B12? Is it hygroscopic, like a herbal extract that cakes six months after packing? Is it bitter or astringent? And what should happen after dosing: dissolve instantly in cold water, release immediately, sustain release over hours, bypass the stomach, or pulse in two waves?

Particle morphology, process route and coating system should be reverse-engineered from those answers — not picked from a price list. Choose the form first and you inherit a predictable list of failures: powder blends that segregate on the filling line and fail content uniformity; "free-flowing" powders that collapse into weight-variable stick packs; probiotic counts decimated by wet-granulation drying heat; hygroscopic granules welded into bricks inside sachets; bitter actives that kill repeat purchase; and sustained-release label claims that a plain tablet can never honor.

We are Runxin Bio-Tech, a Shandong-based granules and pellets manufacturer founded in 1998. For 28 years we have produced for 3,000+ brands and developed 6,000+ formulas. We call our approach Particle-by-Design Engineering: starting from the physicochemical properties of your active and your target release curve, we engineer the particle — irregular instant granule or spherical functional pellet — and manage every batch with one quantitative control system, from D50/D90 particle distribution to dissolution f2 similarity. This page explains how granules and pellets differ, how we match process to ingredient, and how private label granules and custom pellet manufacturing run on our lines.

Granules vs Pellets: Delivery Target Decides the Form

Granules and pellets are both aggregated particle systems, but they are engineered for different jobs.

The decision is rarely either/or. A sleep formula can pair immediate-release melatonin granules with sustained-release magnesium pellets in one sachet; a kids' product can deliver taste-masked vitamin pellets alongside fast-dissolving electrolyte granules. As a granules manufacturer and pellets manufacturer under one roof, we engineer both particles to the same metrics — and combine them when the formula asks for it.

Particle-by-Design: Matching Process Route to Your Active

Four granulation and pelletization routes run on our lines, and each exists because it solves a specific ingredient problem:

• High-shear wet granulation builds dense, robust granules with uniform binder distribution — the workhorse for stable, high-load formulas where controlled thermal drying is acceptable.
• Roller compaction (dry granulation) uses no water and no drying heat. Powder is compacted into a ribbon, milled and classified — the default route for heat-sensitive and hygroscopic actives.
• Fluid-bed granulation sprays binder onto airborne particles, producing porous, fast-dissolving granules at controllably low temperatures; the same equipment layers active or coating onto cores to build pellets.
• Extrusion–spheronization extrudes a wet mass into strands that are rounded into dense, spherical pellets with narrow size distribution and high active loading.
• Powder/solution layering builds active onto inert starter spheres in a fluid bed — ideal for potent actives and for precise, repeatable coating builds.

How those routes map to ingredient challenges:

The output is a process decision documented with reasons — not a catalog order.

Four Engineering Advantages of Pellet Multi-Particulate Systems

Pellets are a multi-particulate system (MPS): one dose is dozens to hundreds of independent spherical units. That architecture delivers four advantages a single tablet cannot:

1. Dose dispersion and safety. A defect in one pellet affects only a tiny fraction of the dose. There is no single-unit fracture that compromises the whole dose and no dose-dumping failure mode — the dose is physically distributed across hundreds of beads.
2. Incompatible actives coexist. Sustained-release pellets and immediate-release pellets can share one capsule; two chemically conflicting ingredients can be isolated on separate pellet populations with separate coatings. One capsule, two release phases, no interaction.
3. Functional coating as a release dial. Film builds on spherical pellets are uniform and reproducible. Ethyl-cellulose and acrylic-resin coatings deliver sustained, controlled, enteric or pulsed profiles; coating weight gain percentage is the dial that sets release rate, verified against dissolution targets.
4. Uniform gastrointestinal distribution. Hundreds of small beads spread through the GI tract rather than lodging as one unit — supporting even exposure, comfortable dosing and lower transit-time variability between individuals.

Typical custom pellet manufacturing programs on our lines: sustained-release vitamin pellet capsules (such as B-complex or vitamin C beads for all-day nutritional support), enteric-coated probiotic and enzyme pellets that help actives reach the intestinal environment, taste-masked herbal and mineral pellets for pediatric and senior products, and beadlet-in-capsule combination formulas.

Granule Platforms: From Stick-Pack Beverages to Probiotic Sprinkles

Our granule lines serve the formats the market is actually buying:

• Functional beverage granules — collagen, electrolyte, greens-blend, mushroom and herbal drink granules engineered for complete cold-water dispersion in stick packs and sachets.
• Effervescent granules — acid and base fractions granulated separately and moisture-controlled to dormancy, for a complete, synchronized fizz with no sediment.
• Herbal and botanical granules — including chrysanthemum-style instant crystal granules, with hygroscopic-extract handling and barrier packaging built in.
• Probiotic and enzyme granules — low-temperature fluid-bed or dry routes that avoid the thermal history that degrades viable counts and enzyme activity.
• Sprinkle formats — small-particle granules that can be sprinkled onto food for children and seniors who struggle with tablets, supporting easy, consistent dosing.

Granulation also fixes the problems that make powder lines fail: it improves flow, prevents segregation of low-dose actives, tightens content uniformity, and turns dusty, poorly flowing blends into fillable, meterable particles. Formula customization spans sweetener systems (sugar, xylitol, stevia or sucralose — full sugar-free capability), natural and nature-identical flavors, colors, and electrolyte, vitamin or botanical loadings; granule size can be tuned from fine instant particles to coarse cold-water-dispersing agglomerates.

A recent example from our lines: a gut-health brand arrived with a probiotic beverage granule that had lost a full log of viable count by month six. Their previous manufacturer had wet-granulated the blend and dried it hot — the standard shortcut for a cheap granule. We moved the formula to low-temperature fluid-bed granulation, nitrogen-protected foil packing and an Aw-based release spec; the accelerated stability program then held labeled counts through the claimed shelf life. The strain was never the problem — the particle was.

Granules and Pellets: One Quantitative Language for Both Forms

The reason we can manage granules and pellets as one engineering discipline is that both are governed by the same measured parameters. Every formula is released against quantified specs, not visual judgment:

• Particle size distribution (D50/D90) by laser diffraction and sieve analysis — controls dissolution speed, flow and filling consistency; fines and oversized fractions are classified out.
• Angle of repose below 35° — the flow benchmark that supports uniform filling into stick packs, sachets and capsule-filling machines.
• Bulk and tapped density — matched to fill volume so your stick width or capsule shell holds the labeled dose.
• Water activity (Aw) — the available-moisture spec that keeps hygroscopic and effervescent systems stable through shelf life, not just loss-on-drying at release.
• Coating weight gain (%) — measured precisely on functional pellets, because a few percent of film is the difference between a 4-hour and a 12-hour release profile.
• Dissolution similarity (f2 above 50) — batch-to-batch dissolution curves are compared against the validated profile; an f2 above 50 confirms the release behavior your label claims is reproduced every lot.
• Content uniformity — verified on filled units, so low-dose actives are homogeneously carried by the granule or pellet carrier.

The Market Behind the Format

Particle formats are riding the fastest-growing currents in the supplement industry:

• The global functional powder beverage market is projected to grow from USD 29.07 billion in 2025 to USD 56.51 billion by 2034, a 7.8% CAGR (Dataintelo) — stick-pack and sachet granules are the primary delivery format behind that growth.
• The effervescent products market is projected to grow from USD 14.8 billion in 2025 to USD 27.6 billion by 2034, a 7.2% CAGR, with the granules segment holding about 12.5% share and growing at a 6.5% CAGR (Dataintelo).
• Instant granule beverages — the chrysanthemum-crystal category being the classic case — are projected to grow from USD 245.5 million in 2025 to USD 372.8 million by 2032, a 6.15% CAGR (PMarket Research).

Behind the numbers: single-serve sticks travel where bottles cannot; pre-dissolved drinks serve pill-fatigued adults, children and seniors; and multi-active combo formulas fit granule and pellet doses that a single tablet physically cannot.

Capacity, Certifications and Full Dosage-Form Synergy

Runxin Bio-Tech was founded in 1998 — 28 years of manufacturing, 3,000+ brand clients and 6,000+ developed formulas. Our granules and pellets capacity stands at 300 million sachets and stick packs per year, supported by certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, GMP, FDA-registered facility, HALAL, SC, REACH and ECOCERT.

The strategic advantage for your brand is dosage-form synergy under one quality system: alongside granules and pellets we produce 2 billion tablets and capsules, 1 billion gummies, 1 billion softgels, 100 million oral liquids and 200 million solid-beverage servings annually. That means your pellets can be filled into hard capsules on our lines, your granules can feed our tablet presses as flowable intermediates, or your product can ship as finished stick packs and sachets — with one batch record, one QC system and one accountability chain.

End formats available: stick packs (2–15 g), three-side-seal sachets, stand-up pouches, pellets-in-capsule (gelatin or vegetarian shells), bottled bulk granules, and bulk intermediate pellets for your own filling operation.

Private Label Granules and Pellets OEM: How We Work

1. Brief. You tell us the active, its sensitivity profile, target release curve, dose, market and label claims.
2. Particle design. We recommend morphology, process route, coating system and end format — with the reasoning in writing.
3. Sampling and pilot. Lab-scale batches and trial stick or capsule fills, with dissolution and stability data included.
4. Validation. ICH-aligned accelerated and long-term stability programs; label claims verified at expiry.
5. Scale-up and pack. Full-scale production with your printed film, cartons and retail-ready configuration.

MOQs are format-dependent and flexible: stock-formula private label granules start at the lowest volumes for fast market entry, while custom pellet manufacturing with functional coatings and bespoke packaging begins at higher volumes to amortize tooling and coating development. We publish no fixed price list because unit cost is driven by active loading, process route (wet, dry or layered), coating complexity, stick/sachet or capsule format, film structure and order volume — we quote transparently against your target retail price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between granules and pellets — and which does my product need?

A: Granules are irregular, porous agglomerates (0.2–4.0 mm) optimized for fast dissolution, beverages and sprinkle use; pellets are dense spherical beads (0.5–1.5 mm) optimized for functional coating and release control. Your active's properties and target release curve decide the form — that is the Particle-by-Design conversation we run in the first briefing. Many products use both.

Q: Can you manufacture sustained-release pellets for dietary supplements?

A: Yes. We build spherical pellets by extrusion–spheronization or layering and apply ethyl-cellulose or acrylic functional coatings; coating weight gain is tuned to your target release profile and verified batch to batch with dissolution testing (f2 above 50). These support extended-release positioning for vitamins, minerals and herbal actives.

Q: How do you protect probiotics and enzymes during granulation?

A: We avoid wet granulation and thermal drying for sensitive actives. Low-temperature fluid-bed processing or roller compaction — completely dry, with no solvent — helps preserve viable counts and enzyme activity, and finished granules or enteric pellets are packed in high-barrier, nitrogen-protected film with water-activity release specifications.

Q: Can incompatible or differently released actives go in one product?

A: Yes — this is a core strength of multi-particulate systems. Immediate-release granules and sustained-release pellets can share a sachet or capsule, and chemically conflicting ingredients can be carried on separately coated pellet populations, physically isolated until consumption.

Q: What packaging formats are available, and what are the MOQs?

A: Stick packs (2–15 g), three-side-seal sachets, stand-up pouches, pellets-in-capsule and bottled or bulk formats. Private-label stock formulas offer the lowest MOQs; custom coated-pellet programs require higher minimums. Contact us with your target format for exact figures.

Q: What are the lead times?

A: Sampling typically runs 2–4 weeks for standard granule programs and 4–8 weeks for custom coated-pellet development; commercial production follows stability confirmation, with bulk lead times confirmed at order placement.

Start Your Particle Project. The brand that launches first with a stable, claim-honoring product wins — and that product is decided at the particle level, before a single stick is filled. Whether you need private label granules for a cold-water beverage stick, custom pellet manufacturing for a sustained-release capsule, or a combined immediate-plus-extended system, our formulation team will specify the route, the metrics and the stability data behind every claim.

Contact Runxin Bio-Tech through our contact page to discuss your granules and pellets OEM project — our team responds within 24 hours.

Related articles:

• Custom Solid Beverage & Powder Supplement Manufacturing

Related Products：

• Ginseng Powder
• Turkesterone Powder
• Maca Coffee
• Tongkat Ali Coffee
• Apple Cider Vinegar Powder
• Ashwagandha Powder