A U.S. Supplement Market Worth Nearly $69 Billion
For decades, dietary supplements were strongly associated with tablets and capsules. That market is changing. Consumers can now choose from gummies, powders, liquids, softgels, stick packs, chewable formats and other delivery systems designed around convenience, taste and lifestyle.
The shift matters for supplement brands because the format is no longer just the container for a formula. It can influence the consumer experience, serving strategy, flavor, portability, branding and even the type of formulation that makes sense for a product.
Recent U.S. industry data illustrates how diversified the category has become. Informa’s 2025 Supplement Business Report, as reported by NutraIngredients in 2026, places pill-like formats at nearly 34% of U.S. supplement market sales, while gummies account for approximately 25%, powders 18%, softgels 13% and liquids 12%.
For brands developing their next product, the question is increasingly not simply ‘What ingredients should we use?’ It is also: ‘What is the right format for the consumer and the formula?’
The Supplement Market Is No Longer Built Around One Format
Traditional pills remain important, but the market now supports multiple strong delivery formats. The current mix reflects a broader change in consumer expectations: supplementation can be designed around different routines, occasions and preferences.
FDA also recognizes that dietary supplements can appear in many forms, including tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, powders, bars, gummies and liquids, provided the product meets the legal definition and labeling requirements for a dietary supplement.
This flexibility creates a wider product-development landscape for brands.
What Current U.S. Format Share Tells Brands
The current U.S. sales mix is revealing. Pill-like formats still represent nearly 34% of the market, according to Informa data reported by NutraIngredients, but alternative formats collectively represent a substantial part of supplement sales.
Gummies account for approximately 25%, powders 18%, softgels 13% and liquids 12% in the same industry reporting.
The commercial lesson is not that one format will replace all others. It is that brands have more ways to match a product with a specific consumer, use occasion and formulation strategy.
Gummies: Experience, Taste and Convenience
Gummies have become one of the strongest non-pill formats in the United States. Their appeal is closely connected to an easier, more enjoyable consumption experience.
For product developers, however, gummies introduce their own formulation questions. Active load, flavor, sweetness, acidity, texture, serving size and stability need to work together.
A gummy can be an excellent format for the right concept, but it should be selected because it fits the product strategy—not simply because gummies are popular.
Powders and Stick Packs: Flexibility Meets Portability
Powders can offer brands a different type of flexibility, particularly when the intended serving would be difficult to accommodate in a small-format product.
Single-serve stick packs can also add portability and convenience to a powder concept. NutraIngredients notes growing interest in stick packs as consumers look for convenient, on-the-go formats.
Flavor, solubility, serving size and preparation instructions become central parts of the product experience in this category.
Liquids and Shots: A Different Consumption Experience
Liquid supplements and shots create another route for brands seeking a ready-to-consume format.
They can support compact, portable product concepts, but liquid formulation requires its own development strategy involving flavor, ingredient compatibility, serving size, stability and packaging.
The format can also create strong shelf differentiation because the package itself becomes a significant part of the consumer experience.
Capsules, Tablets and Softgels Still Matter
Innovation does not mean abandoning traditional formats.
Capsules, tablets and softgels can remain appropriate for products where convenience, ingredient characteristics, consumer familiarity or a more traditional supplement experience are important.
The strongest product-development decision is therefore not automatically the newest format. It is the format that best aligns with the formulation, target consumer and commercial objective.
The Same Ingredient Concept May Require a Different Format
One of the most important R&D decisions is determining whether the desired formula is compatible with the desired delivery system.
Ingredient quantity, taste, solubility, physical characteristics and intended serving can all influence format selection. A concept that is difficult to execute effectively in a small gummy, for example, may lead the development team to evaluate another delivery approach.
This is why format selection and formulation should be developed together rather than treated as separate decisions.
R&D Allows Brands to Start With the Objective, Not the Format
A brand may begin with a target consumer and product objective before knowing whether the finished product should be a gummy, powder, liquid, capsule or another format.
That is where R&D becomes especially valuable. The development process can evaluate the requested ingredients, serving strategy, sensory experience, packaging and commercial positioning before determining the most appropriate path.
At White Lab USA, projects can be evaluated from an existing formula, a reference product, an ingredient concept or an early-stage idea. Depending on the project, R&D can help determine how the concept can be translated into an appropriate finished-product format.
Format Is Also a Branding Decision
Delivery format affects more than manufacturing. It changes how the consumer sees and uses the product.
A powder stick pack can communicate portability. A shot can create a quick-use ritual. A gummy can emphasize flavor and enjoyment. A capsule can communicate a familiar supplement routine.
For brands, choosing a format is therefore part formulation decision, part packaging decision and part marketing decision.
Regulatory Classification Still Comes First
Creative formats do not remove regulatory requirements.
FDA states that a dietary supplement must be intended for ingestion, contain one or more qualifying dietary ingredients, and be labeled as a dietary supplement. A product can even resemble a conventional food format in some circumstances, but it cannot be represented as a conventional food or as the sole item of a meal or diet if it is to qualify as a dietary supplement.
FDA also does not approve dietary supplements or their labeling before they are marketed. Companies are responsible for ensuring that products are safe and properly labeled and that claims are truthful and substantiated.
For this reason, classification, formulation, labeling and marketing should be considered together during product development.
Developing the Right Supplement Format With White Lab USA
The expansion of supplement delivery formats gives brands more creative freedom, but it also makes product-development decisions more important.
White Lab USA’s R&D approach allows a project to be evaluated around the product objective rather than forcing every concept into the same standard format.
Depending on the formula and project requirements, the development discussion can include ingredient strategy, serving format, flavor and sensory considerations, packaging direction and the path toward commercial production.
The objective is to build a product that makes sense as a complete consumer experience—from the formula inside the package to the way the customer uses it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Supplement Delivery Formats
What forms can dietary supplements take?
FDA identifies many possible forms, including tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, powders, bars, gummies and liquids, provided the product meets the applicable definition and labeling requirements.
Are gummies replacing capsules and tablets?
No single format serves every product or consumer. Current industry data shows meaningful U.S. sales across pill-like formats, gummies, powders, softgels and liquids.
How should a brand choose a supplement format?
The decision should consider the target consumer, ingredients, serving size, taste or sensory requirements, convenience, packaging and commercial positioning.
Can a supplement concept be developed before choosing the final format?
Yes. An R&D process can begin with the desired product objective and evaluate which delivery format is most appropriate for the requested formulation and consumer experience.
Can White Lab USA help determine the right format?
White Lab USA can evaluate a project based on its formula, ingredient concept, reference product or commercial objective and determine the appropriate development path based on the specific project.
Editorial note: Regulatory information is general and sourced to FDA resources current as of October 8, 2026. Product-specific requirements depend on the formula, claims, process, packaging, facility and distribution model.
