When the buzz about NR gummies first started, I was skeptical. Gummies are everywhere now and consumers love them, but I knew how tricky nicotinamide riboside, a form of vitamin B3, can be on a production line. I've spent years in supplement manufacturing, and I've seen plenty of ingredients that look easy on paper and turn into headaches on the floor. NR is one of those headaches.
At KorNutra, we took on the challenge anyway. We believed there was a better way to deliver NR, provided we could solve the manufacturing puzzles first. There were plenty of those.
The Heat Problem That Almost Killed the Project
Most people don't realize how fast NR picks up moisture. Drop it into a hot, wet environment, like a standard gummy syrup at 70 to 80°C, and it starts to break down almost immediately. That hydrolysis turns NR into niacinamide, a cheap and common B3 form. Niacinamide is not dangerous, but it is not what people paid for, and the conversion happens fast under heat and water.
We had to rethink the entire process. Instead of adding NR into the hot syrup, we developed a post-cook infusion step. The gummy base cools below 60°C before we introduce NR, and we run the whole thing under nitrogen to keep moisture out. This meant retrofitting our tanks with chilled jackets. The retrofit was expensive, but it worked.
What About the Bitter Taste?
NR has a sharp bitterness that's hard to hide. In a capsule, you swallow it fast. In a gummy, it lingers on the tongue for a good 30 seconds. Some manufacturers pile on citric acid to cover it, but that trades one defect for another. Too much acid over-sets the pectin gel and pulls moisture to the surface, and the sour edge makes the bitterness taste worse. NR itself degrades faster near neutral pH than under mildly acidic conditions, so the acid level is a control point, not a blunt mask.
Our solution changed how the gummy releases the ingredient rather than covering the taste. We adjusted the gelling agent blend, a mix of pectin and modified starch, to create a firmer chew that releases NR more slowly. Paired with a cool raspberry-mint flavor rather than heavy fruit punch, the bitterness fades into the background without needing extra acid.
The Crystallization Nightmare
Early batches looked great for the first 24 hours. Then tiny white crystals started forming on the surface. That is a deal-breaker in a premium gummy; nobody wants a product that looks like it has gone bad.
The problem was supersaturation. NR has limited solubility in the gummy matrix, and if the balance is off, it crystallizes out. We ran phase mapping tests and found the formulation that holds: 2.5% NR by weight, combined with a precise ratio of maltitol to isomaltulose. That keeps the NR in an amorphous, non-crystalline state for the full shelf life.
Stability Testing Told the Real Story
We put our gummies through accelerated stability testing at 40°C and 75% relative humidity. The first versions lost 30% of their NR content in four weeks. The causes were clear: moisture migrating to the surface and oxygen moving through the gummy matrix.
Our fix had three parts:
- Packaging: Individual foil pouches with oxygen scavengers inside. No bulk jars.
- Water activity control: We target a water activity (a_w) of 0.55 to 0.60, below what most gummies run. Lower water activity slows both hydrolysis and microbial growth.
- Coating: A light dusting of tapioca starch after demolding acts as a moisture barrier.
After these changes, 12-month room-temperature stability shows over 95% NR retention. That matches capsule stability, which is better than I expected at the start.
Know Where Your NR Comes From
Manufacturing technique is only half the picture. The ingredient itself carries a legal layer you need to clear before launch. Nicotinamide riboside is supplied mainly as Niagen, the branded NR chloride from ChromaDex, which the company markets as patented nicotinamide riboside. Brands that use NR generally license it through that supply chain rather than buying unlicensed powder. ChromaDex filed a new dietary ingredient notification for Niagen (NDI 882) in 2015, and FDA raised no objection. The company also received a no-questions letter for GRAS notice GRN 635 in 2016, which cleared NR for use in foods and beverages at up to 300 mg per serving.
The category around it has been volatile. FDA excluded nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) from the dietary supplement definition in November 2022, then reversed course in December 2025 and reinstated NDI status for NMN suppliers. NR stayed a lawful supplement ingredient through all of it. When you talk to a manufacturer, ask for the certificate of analysis on the NR lot and confirm the ingredient source is licensed and documented. A cheap, unlicensed NR supply is the fastest way to inherit a legal problem you did not manufacture.
Why Bother With Gummies at All?
If NR is this hard to work with, why not stick to capsules? The market is changing. People want convenient, enjoyable formats. A well-made gummy can deliver the same active ingredient without sacrificing quality, but only if you re-engineer everything from raw material handling through packaging.
When you're thinking about launching an NR gummy, ask your manufacturer these questions:
- At what temperature do you add NR to the gummy base?
- What's your target water activity?
- How do you control humidity on the production floor?
- Do you have accelerated stability data for the finished product?
- Who supplies your NR, and can you document the license and certificate of analysis?
A manufacturer that can't answer those clearly is still learning. In this space, the learning curve can cost you a lot of time and money.
At KorNutra, we burned through plenty of test batches to get this right. That experience is baked into every gummy we make now, so you don't have to repeat our mistakes.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or health claims.