Bespoke eye health supplement manufacturing
British VitaTech is an eye health supplement manufacturer that develops and makes custom eye health supplements, from lutein and zeaxanthin softgels to DHA formulas, for brands worldwide, and the brand owns the formula.
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Lutein and zeaxanthin softgels, and the eye formulas around them
Lutein and zeaxanthin softgels sit at the core of the custom eye health supplements we take from formulation to finished product for premium brands, working as an eye health supplement manufacturer in our UK facility. Each formula pairs carotenoids that collect in the eye with nutrients that carry authorised vision claims: DHA, vitamin A, riboflavin and zinc. We also make capsules and tablets with beadlet carotenoids, gummies, liquids and shots, and daily packs that pair an eye softgel with a multivitamin or omega-3. Carotenoids are handled under nitrogen and packed away from light and oxygen. Every batch is tested by accredited partner laboratories and ships with its certificate of analysis. Your formula is yours.
Lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin form the macular pigment at the centre of the retina. A 2016 meta-analysis of 20 randomised trials found that supplements raised macular pigment optical density in healthy adults, with larger rises at higher doses and from lower starting levels (Ma and colleagues, Nutrients, 2016).
Lutein grades an eye health supplement manufacturer chooses by format
We specify every active by form, grade and dose, use only vitamin and mineral forms permitted in GB and EU food supplements, and approve every supplier before first use. As a lutein supplement manufacturer, we start from the grade your format needs.
| Active | Forms and grades | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Lutein | From marigold flowers (Tagetes erecta), as crystals, esters, oil suspensions or beadlets | EFSA's acceptable daily intake is 1 mg per kg of body weight (EFSA, 2010), about 70 mg for a 70 kg adult |
| Zeaxanthin | From marigold extracts, or made by synthesis | Synthetic zeaxanthin is authorised for food supplements in GB and the EU at up to 2 mg a day |
| DHA | Algal oil or fish oil concentrates | Carries the vision claim; see omega-3 supplement manufacturing |
| Vitamin A | Retinyl acetate, retinyl palmitate, beta-carotene | EFSA's upper level for preformed vitamin A is 3,000 µg a day, and EFSA advises smokers to avoid beta-carotene supplements (EFSA, 2024) |
| Riboflavin | Riboflavin; riboflavin 5'-phosphate sodium | Yellow and light-sensitive |
| Zinc and copper | Zinc bisglycinate, citrate, gluconate, picolinate or oxide; cupric salts or copper bisglycinate | High zinc intakes reduce copper absorption, so zinc formulas carry copper |
| Nicotinamide | Nicotinamide, a permitted form of niacin | Carries niacin's claims, none on vision; also in our NAD+ supplements |
| Botanicals | Bilberry and blackcurrant anthocyanins; saffron | No authorised claim; see saffron supplement manufacturing |
The grade follows the format. Oil suspensions suit softgels; water-dispersible beadlets suit tablets, capsules, powders and drinks; and the carotenoid percentage of each grade sets the fill weight per unit. Beadlets embed the carotenoid in gelatine, gum acacia or modified starch, so vegan ranges take plant-based grades.
Eye softgels, beadlet tablets and daily packs
We make every format below in our UK facility, which is ISO 9001, HACCP and GMP certified by BSI, and FDA registered. BRCGS implementation under way, certification expected in early 2027.
- Softgels are the core eye format: lutein and zeaxanthin in oil, often with DHA, sealed from oxygen in bovine or fish gelatine shells, or plant-based shells for vegan ranges. See softgel manufacturing.
- Capsules and tablets carry beadlet carotenoids with zinc, copper, vitamin A and riboflavin; capsules are GMP certified. See capsule and tablet manufacturing.
- Gummies carry lutein and zeaxanthin at modest doses per piece, are GMP certified, and get an active assay on every batch as standard. See gummy manufacturing.
- Liquids and shots carry emulsified carotenoids and DHA, and are GMP certified.
- Daily packs pair an eye softgel with a multivitamin or omega-3 in one blister or sachet strip, packed in-house.
Eye formulas sit within our healthy ageing supplement manufacturing range. That range also covers muscle health and urolithin A formulas.
No claim sets the lutein dose, so the evidence does
Development runs as a paid R&D stage, which can be included with an order of the right size. A typical eye softgel brief moves from grade and ratio selection to bench samples, accelerated stability and a pilot batch that proves fill weight, shell colour and assay before scale-up.
Small claim doses and a 2 mg zeaxanthin cap
The vision claims need little: a source level, which we set at 15% of the nutrient reference value per daily dose, that is 120 µg of vitamin A, 0.21 mg of riboflavin and 1.5 mg of zinc. DHA is the exception: its claim needs at least 40 mg of DHA per 100 g and per 100 kcal, with the label stating that the effect comes with 250 mg of DHA a day. No claim sets the lutein or zeaxanthin dose, so evidence does: the meta-analysis found larger rises in macular pigment at higher doses, and synthetic zeaxanthin is capped at 2 mg a day in GB and the EU. We keep zinc within EFSA's upper level of 25 mg a day and preformed vitamin A well below 3,000 µg, and the NHS notes that more than 1.5 mg of vitamin A a day over many years may affect bones. Nicotinamide is studied in large trials at gram doses; in food supplements we keep it within EFSA's upper level of 900 mg a day, as a source of niacin.
Fat-soluble carotenoids and lutein esters
Lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin A and DHA are fat-soluble, so softgels carry them in oil and directions for tablets pair them with a meal. Lutein esters are split during digestion, so our specifications state whether a dose means lutein or lutein esters. Products with added plant sterols must advise regular fruit and vegetables "to help maintain carotenoid levels", so we keep sterols out of carotenoid formulas.
Stability and colour
Carotenoids carry long chains of conjugated double bonds, which absorb light and oxidise. So we handle them under nitrogen, protect them with tocopherols, fill softgels in tinted shells and pack in opaque containers. Riboflavin also degrades in light, and DHA oxidises, so oils are tested for peroxide value, anisidine value and TOTOX against the GOED Voluntary Monograph. In gummies, lutein goes in late in the cook, at the lowest workable temperature. Lutein is yellow-orange, so in gummies and drinks it colours the product as well as dosing it. Overages come from stability data on your product and pack.
Vision claims for DHA, zinc and vitamin A, including DHA in pregnancy
As of October 2026, these vision claims are on the GB nutrition and health claims register and the EU register, in this exact wording.
| Nutrient | Authorised claim | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| DHA | "DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal vision" | At least 40 mg of DHA per 100 g and per 100 kcal; label states 250 mg of DHA a day |
| Vitamin A | "Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision" | A source of vitamin A |
| Riboflavin | "Riboflavin contributes to the maintenance of normal vision" | A source of riboflavin |
| Zinc | "Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal vision"; "Zinc contributes to normal metabolism of vitamin A" | A source of zinc |
| DHA in pregnancy | "Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) maternal intake contributes to the normal development of the eye of the foetus and breastfed infants" | At least 200 mg of DHA a day; pregnant and lactating women are told the effect comes with 200 mg of DHA in addition to the 250 mg of DHA and EPA recommended for adults |
No claim for lutein or zeaxanthin is authorised: EFSA found the evidence for lutein and normal vision insufficient (EFSA, 2012). So labels pair carotenoids with zinc, riboflavin, vitamin A or DHA, and copy describes the carotenoids without claiming an effect. US labels make structure and function claims backed by evidence, with FDA's standard disclaimer. Our claims and regulation page covers each market in depth.
Carotenoids kept from light and oxygen, from fill to blister
Our HACCP study for each product type, reviewed annually, sets the critical control points.
- Approve and receive. Carotenoid grades arrive with a certificate of analysis for lutein and zeaxanthin by HPLC, checked against our specification, and are stored cool, dark and sealed.
- Prepare the fill. For softgels, carotenoid suspensions are blended with DHA oil and tocopherols under nitrogen; for tablets and capsules, microgram vitamin A and the minerals are pre-blended into a carrier.
- Encapsulate, press or deposit. Softgels are formed around the fill and dried to their target shell moisture; tablets are compressed and film-coated; gummies take carotenoids late in the cook.
- Pack and check labels. Packs block light and oxygen, from opaque bottles to aluminium blisters, with nitrogen flushing where the formula needs it, and labels are verified on every batch as our critical control point, CCP-01.
- Retain and release. We keep three retained samples per batch for shelf life plus one year, and quality control releases each batch against its specification.
Fish oil is controlled as an allergen under our allergen management plan, while fish gelatine used as a carrier for vitamin or carotenoid preparations is exempt from fish allergen labelling in GB and the EU.
Lutein and zeaxanthin per softgel, and the ratio between them
Every batch is tested by accredited partner laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025), and batch testing is part of every order. Quality control releases every batch against its specification, and nothing is dispatched without quality control sign-off, as our testing and batch release page explains.
| Test | Typical method | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Lutein and zeaxanthin | HPLC | Dose per unit, and the ratio of the two |
| DHA | Gas chromatography of fatty acid methyl esters | The vision claim's conditions |
| Oxidation | Peroxide value, anisidine value, TOTOX | Oil quality against the GOED limits |
| Vitamin A and riboflavin | HPLC | Source levels and upper levels through shelf life |
| Zinc and copper | ICP-OES | Label values and the zinc to copper balance |
| Contaminants | ICP-MS for heavy metals; pesticide residues in marigold extracts; microbiology | Legal limits for food supplements |
| Stability | Accelerated and real-time studies, with carotenoids and vitamin A at every point | Sets shelf life and overages |
Every batch ships with its certificate of analysis against the agreed specification. Your project file holds the formula, specification, stability data and label review with the exact claim wording, and all of it is yours. When your eye health formula is ready to brief, Start your project.
References: Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (2012); Commission Regulation (EU) No 440/2011 (2011); EFSA, lutein and maintenance of normal vision (2012); EFSA, re-evaluation of lutein (E 161b) as a food additive (2010); Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470, Union list entry for zeaxanthin (2017); Ma and colleagues, Nutrients (2016); EFSA, overview of tolerable upper intake levels (2025).
Where this is going
To 2030
Up: ageing customers and fermentation-made carotenoids lift the category
To 2036
Up if the evidence keeps building and eye health joins healthy-ageing routines
What to watch
New trials could come back null, and sales data are mixed
Questions brands ask
What does an eye health supplement manufacturer do?
An eye health supplement manufacturer develops and produces eye health products, from formulation to finished pack. At British VitaTech that means pairing lutein and zeaxanthin with DHA, vitamin A, riboflavin or zinc, which carry authorised vision claims, protecting carotenoids from light and oxygen, and choosing a format people take every day. We make softgels, capsules, tablets, gummies and liquids in the UK, every batch is tested by accredited partner laboratories, and the brand owns the formula.
Which eye health claims are authorised in the UK and EU?
As of October 2026, four nutrients carry a vision claim. "DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal vision" needs at least 40 mg of DHA per 100 g and per 100 kcal, with 250 mg a day stated on the label. Vitamin A, riboflavin and zinc carry the same claim, each at least at a source level, which we set at 15% of the nutrient reference value per daily dose. A maternal DHA claim covers eye development of the foetus and breastfed infants at 200 mg a day.
Can lutein and zeaxanthin carry a health claim?
Not in the UK or EU. As of October 2026, no lutein or zeaxanthin claim is authorised, and EFSA found the evidence for lutein and normal vision insufficient in 2012. Labels therefore pair the carotenoids with zinc, riboflavin, vitamin A or DHA, which carry vision claims, and copy describes lutein and zeaxanthin without claiming an effect. US labels can carry structure and function claims backed by evidence, with FDA's standard disclaimer.
How much lutein and zeaxanthin should an eye formula contain?
Enough to match the evidence you want to cite. No authorised claim sets a dose, but a 2016 meta-analysis of 20 randomised trials found larger rises in macular pigment at higher doses. As of October 2026, synthetic zeaxanthin is capped at 2 mg a day in GB and EU food supplements, and EFSA's acceptable daily intake for lutein is 1 mg per kg of body weight, about 70 mg for a 70 kg adult. We set the dose with you at concept stage.
Which formats suit lutein?
Softgels, for most brands. Lutein and zeaxanthin are fat-soluble and sensitive to light and oxygen, so an oil suspension sealed in a tinted softgel protects them and helps absorption. Water-dispersible beadlets suit tablets, capsules, powders and drinks, and gummies carry modest doses, with an active assay on every batch. Lutein is yellow-orange, so in a gummy it colours the product as well as dosing it.
How do you keep lutein and zeaxanthin stable?
By shielding them from light, oxygen and heat at every step. We handle carotenoid suspensions under nitrogen with tocopherols, fill softgels in tinted shells, add lutein late in the gummy cook at the lowest workable temperature, and pack in opaque containers. Accredited partner laboratories assay lutein and zeaxanthin by HPLC on every batch and at each stability point, and the overage on your formula comes from stability data on your product and pack.
What is tested on every batch of an eye health supplement?
Every batch is tested by accredited partner laboratories as part of every order, against the specification agreed with you. Lutein and zeaxanthin are assayed by HPLC, DHA by gas chromatography with oxidation values against the GOED limits, vitamin A and riboflavin by HPLC, and zinc and copper by ICP-OES. Contaminant tests cover heavy metals, pesticide residues in marigold extracts and microbiology, and each batch ships with its certificate of analysis.