VitaTech Adds Banding Ability, Ups Coating Capacity

TUSTIN, Calif.In recentmonths, VitaTech International made additional equipment upgrades to ensurecompliance with proposed GMPs (good manufacturing practices). According to GregWilliford, vice president client services, VitaTech has invested more than $1million annually for more than four years upgrading the facility and equipmentto operate at a near-pharmaceutical level.

In December, the company made two major equipment moves.First, the company added a new machine to band two-piece hardshell capsules; the bands seal the capsule completely and are often used inover-thecounter processing. With the increased awareness of the threats ofbioterrorism and product tampering, that is a way capsule product lines candifferentiate their line from others on the shelf, Williford said. Thiswill be the trend for non-drug itemsto have the band around two-piececapsules. VitaTech (www.vitatech.com) also added another continuous coaterthethird in its facility. The coater uses state-of-the-art, waterbased coating fortablets.