[E-Daily Reporter KIM SUNG-JIN ] “As a general rule, RPbio Inc.’s soft capsule production process requires that the prepared contents and coating be molded within 72 hours to maintain optimal quality. Typically, once the contents are prepared, they are nitrogen-flushed, sealed, and stored to prevent rancidity; the coating, once prepared, undergoes a curing process of at least 16 hours before being used in the molding process. In contrast, Blister Jelly employs a so-called ‘salad-style’ (Fresh Formulation) one-stop process, in which the product is fully packaged immediately after preparation on the same day.”

RPbio Inc.(314140) ’s factory in the Mado Industrial Complex in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, which I visited on the 4th. Choi Jeong-mun, Assistant Manager of Dry Production, who led the tour, described RPbio Inc.’s blister jelly production method in this way. In particular, products containing omega-3 may experience an increase in acidity if exposed to air for long periods, so the process—from filling to final packaging—is completed on the same day as soon as compounding is finished.

Korea’s First Blister Jelly… Equipment Runs Nonstop

The blister jelly formulation is a technology that RPbio Inc. independently developed in 2024, marking a first in Korea. It employs a patented process that involves directly filling jelly into “Alu-Alu”—a type of packaging formulation—to prevent oxidation and enhance product stability and quality. The line can produce approximately 260 kg per batch and manufactures 40,000 jellies per hour. With the recent expansion of the dietary supplement market and growing niche demand from consumers who avoid tablets, the equipment has been running nonstop.

Deputy Manager Choi said, “We came up with the idea that production would be possible by combining the characteristics of chewables, molded products, and PTP packaging with ALPI’s 40 years of expertise in soft capsules.” He also opened up about the challenges faced during the development process. Deputy Manager Choi said, “Since there were no overseas references to draw upon, we conducted countless formulation tests; it took seven months just to set up the equipment for this unique production line.”

Three 2,000-liter mixing tanks were in operation on the Jelly Stick production line. Two of these are used for blending and mixing raw materials, and they incorporate not only the mixing process but also a CIP (Clean-In-Place) system for cleaning the interior of the equipment after production is complete. The remaining tank serves as a service tank, temporarily storing the finished mixture and ensuring a stable supply to the filling line.

In the mixing tanks, the raw materials are thoroughly dissolved, then heated to over 90 degrees for 10 minutes to sterilize the mixture, followed by a degassing process to remove any air bubbles that have formed in the contents. During the filling process, the contents supplied from the service tank are transferred to the filling machine and continuously filled in precise quantities into tube-shaped packaging. A key feature is the establishment of a production system where each process—from raw material preparation to heating, degassing, Brix verification, transfer to the service tank, precise filling and sealing, and cutting—is seamlessly linked, thereby simultaneously ensuring production efficiency and product quality.

In addition, immediately after filling, the jelly (tubes) are cooled as they pass through a cooling conveyor set to -2°C (automatically regulated) during the packaging stage. This marks the industry’s first full automation of a process that previously required workers to manually spread the jelly onto trays and transport them back and forth to cold storage. Thanks to this rapid cooling process, the jelly’s chewy texture and consistency are maintained, and combined with formulations from RPbio Inc.’s “Taste Research Lab”—which addresses the raw ingredients’ inherent bitterness and off-flavors—quality is maximized.

From the original molding machine dating back to 1991 to the AI vision sorter

, RPbio Inc. is the industry leader with over 40 years of experience as a manufacturer specializing in soft gel capsules. Its predecessor was Korea Alpi Scherer, established in 1983 as a joint venture between DAEWOONGPHARMACEUTICAL and Catalent (formerly Alpi Scherer), a U.S.-based soft gel capsule company. Korea RPI Scherer merged with Daewoong Trading in 2012 and changed its name to RPI Co., and in 2016, it underwent a spin-off from RPI Co. to become RPbio Inc.

RPbio Inc. is a company specializing in softgel contract manufacturing (OEM) and contract development and manufacturing (ODM), and its key advantage is possessing the longest softgel surface shelf life technology in Korea—36 months. Compared to competitors’ softgels, which have a shelf life of 24 months, this allows products to remain viable for an additional year. Not only does this extend the period during which consumers can use the products, but it also significantly reduces the inventory management burden for ordering companies.

RPbio Inc.’s soft capsule production process also begins with weighing; once weighed, the raw materials are divided into fill and coating components. First, the fill undergoes a “one-stop” process where “mixing → milling → filtration → degassing” are connected via conveyor pipes. Oils such as omega-3 must pass through a 200-mesh screen, and for slurries, a degassing process to remove air bubbles generated during mixing and milling is essential. Deputy Manager Choi explained, “If air bubbles in the contents of a capsule—which should contain 500 mg—are not removed, leakage and deviations can occur, leading to safety and efficacy issues.”

The coating that encloses the contents is broadly categorized into animal-based and plant-based types. Animal-based coatings use gelatin as the main ingredient, while plant-based coatings use carrageenan (a red algae extract). Depending on customer requests, various natural pigments can be blended to produce different coating colors. The contents and coating prepared in this way are formed into capsules during the final shaping stage. In the shaping machine, cylindrical left and right dies rotated continuously, producing soft gel capsules nonstop.

Deputy General Manager Choi explained, “The original Alpi Machine is equipment that most precisely implements the fundamental mechanism of soft capsule production, and it still boasts an unmatched level of perfection in terms of durability and capsule uniformity.”

Once formed, the capsules are spread out on trays and dried in a drying room. After undergoing hardness and burst strength tests, they proceed to the sorting process. This involves checking for any capsules with leakage or deformation, as well as those that are undersized or oversized (a metal detector is mandatory).

For the post-molding sorting process, a state-of-the-art “vision camera sorter”—introduced two years ago as an industry first—has been deployed. According to the company, a high-resolution camera rotates at high speed to inspect the capsules’ appearance in real time, detecting even minute foreign particles as small as 1 mm and minute leaks, thereby raising the defect detection rate to over 99.5 percent.

Targeting Direct Overseas Exports with “New NeoGel,” Which Has a 36-Month Shelf Life

Building on this manufacturing capability, RPbio Inc. plans to aggressively expand its exports. RPbio Inc.’s first-time participation in “VitaFood Asia 2026”—Asia’s largest health functional food exhibition, held in Bangkok, Thailand, on the 2nd—is also part of its preparations for full-scale exports. While the company previously relied on indirect exports by supplying products to domestic clients, it now aims to transform itself into a CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) that enters into direct turnkey contracts with overseas buyers.

In fact, it is reported that there was significant interest at this year’s VitaFood Asia exhibition in RPbio Inc.’s soft capsule technology—which guarantees a 36-month shelf life—as well as its blister-packaged jellies. RPbio Inc.’s “New Neogel,” a patented formulation with a 36-month shelf life, is a climate-adapted formulation that fundamentally prevents coating deformation and rancidity even in the hot and humid climates of Southeast Asia. “Blister Jelly” is also a new, patent-based formulation designed to eliminate the risk of rancidity during long-distance global logistics. In particular, the recent global Hallyu (Korean Wave) cultural craze is believed to have played a significant role in this trend.

To ensure not only product quality but also exceptional taste, RPbio Inc. operates a dedicated flavor research laboratory that controls the bitterness and off-flavors of raw materials. In particular, the Mado plant has obtained a Verification of Acceptance (VAI) for the U.S. FDA cGMP on-site inspection and holds Korea’s first KGMP and FSSC 22000 certifications for soft gel capsules. These certifications meet global distribution standards not only in Southeast Asia but also in North America, thereby fulfilling the requirements for direct overseas ODM exports.