Some consumers like to use empty pill capsules as a vehicle to take powder dietary supplements.  These empty capsules, made of gelatin or cellulose or other food grade materials, are actually needed for orally taking powder acidic dietary supplements or nutrients such as ascorbic acid or vitamin C which would otherwise damage the teeth when it is directly taken with a glass of water because some acid may get trapped somewhere long enough to cause the damage.

Empty pill capsules can be bought from online stores or your local health stores like  CVS, GNC, Walmart, and Walgreens.  But the safety of the products may be an issue if the empty capsules are imported from China.  It was reported two years that some capsule producers in China used industrial-grade gelatin, which is not intended for human consumption.  It has been reported now again that another manufacturer in China still used toxic industrial-grade gelatin to make empty pill capsules.

This capsule maker has been banned from making pill capsules.  However, the manufacturer has already sold 90,000,000 empty pill capsules and the owner did not tell who bought the toxic product.

Some empty pill capsules sold in the U.S. may come from China.  It is unknown whether any of these toxic empty capsules got into the U.S. market.  Next time you buy empty pill capsules, make sure that the origin of product is not China or that the seller has a document to assure the consumers of the safety of the empty pill capsules he sells.

If the empty pill capsules you use smell or taste strange, toss them into your trash can.  (David Liu, PHD)