Santa Cruz Nutritionals

What Santa Cruz Nutritionals does

Santa Cruz Nutritionals, operating as SCN BestCo (legal entity Harmony Foods, LLC), is a US-headquartered B2B contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) founded in 1968. The company produces over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, vitamin/mineral/supplement (VMS) products, and functional foods for leading consumer healthcare brands and national retailers, offering contract manufacturing and private label services. Operations span five facilities across the United States (Golden CO headquarters, Mooresville NC, Santa Cruz CA) and Canada (St-Hubert QC, Acton Vale QC), employing approximately 1,700+ people and serving a horizontal customer base across digestive health, immunity, sleep, energy, beauty, sports nutrition, and other health categories.

The company's core technology is a proprietary confectionery-based delivery platform comprising five dosage formats: traditional Gummies (pectin, starch, gelatin), SuperGel™ starchless mold technology (drug-compliant chewable gel gummy), SuperChew® extruded pan-coated chews, Soft Chews (low-temperature processed), and Lozenges. SCN BestCo maintains a library of 500+ proprietary formulations and has commercialized 250+ products since 2010. Key manufacturing credentials include FDA registration, cGMP compliance, USDA Organic certification (QAI), and Health Canada approval for the St-Hubert facility, enabling both dietary supplement and OTC drug manufacturing.

The business model is enterprise B2B contract manufacturing and private label. Revenue is generated through custom formulation development, lab-scale prototyping, process validation, packaging design, and full-scale production under customer brands, plus private label arrangements using stock formulations across the five dosage formats. The go-to-motion relies on direct enterprise sales with dedicated account managers guiding partners through the full product lifecycle, supported by a web-based quote-request funnel. The 2022 merger of BestCo, Santa Cruz Nutritionals, and Life Science Nutritionals (LSN), combined with the earlier Confab Laboratories integration, has created an integrated multi-format CDMO platform that is the largest US lozenge manufacturer (6+ billion lozenges annually).

Name

Santa Cruz Nutritionals

Legal name

Harmony Foods, LLC

Website

https://scnbestco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SCN BestCo (formerly Santa Cruz Nutritionals) is a US-based B2B contract manufacturer producing OTC drugs, vitamins, supplements, and functional foods in gummy, lozenge, soft chew, SuperGel, and SuperChew formats for consumer health brands and national retailers across five facilities in the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Dietary Supplement Manufacturing

NAICS

Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (311340), Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113), Snack Food Manufacturing (31191)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Cookies & Crackers (2052), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Cookies, Biscuits & Crackers (CRADABAD)

Keywords

• Contract manufacturing services
• Private label supplements
• Gummy vitamin manufacturing
• OTC drug manufacturing
• Dietary supplement production

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing Services: SCN BestCo develops and manufactures OTC drugs, dietary supplements, and VMS products for consumer brands and national retailers. Services include custom formulation, lab scale prototyping, process validation, packaging design, and full-scale production across gummy, lozenge, soft chew, SuperGel, and SuperChew formats.
2. Private Label Manufacturing: SCN BestCo offers a diverse portfolio of stock formulations across five core dosage formats available for private branding opportunities, allowing retailers and brands to private-label SCN BestCo's existing product portfolio.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Santa Cruz Nutritionals (dba SCN BestCo) is a B2B contract manufacturer that develops, formulates, and produces OTC drugs, vitamin/mineral/supplement (VMS) products, and functional foods in five proprietary dosage formats — gummies, SuperGel™, SuperChew®, soft chews, and lozenges — for consumer brands and national retailers. The company also offers private label manufacturing using its stock formulation portfolio, plus full-service R&D, lab prototyping, process validation, and packaging design support.

Product overview

SCN BestCo is a leading contract manufacturer of Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs, Vitamin, Mineral & Supplement (VMS) products, and prebiotics/probiotics. The company offers five core dosage forms – Gummies, SuperGel™ (world's first drug-compliant starchless gummy), SuperChew® (pan-coated chews), Soft Chews, and Lozenges – across contract manufacturing and private label services. With over 50 years of experience and facilities in California, North Carolina, Colorado, and Quebec, Canada, SCN BestCo partners with consumer brands and national retailers to deliver innovative delivery formats across healthcare categories including digestive health, cold & cough, allergy, immunity, bone & joint health, cognition, sleep support, energy, beauty, stress management, sports nutrition and oral health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SuperGel™: World's first drug-compliant chewable gel gummy, manufactured using starchless mold technology
• SuperChew®
• SuperGel
• SuperChew

Products and services

• SuperGel™ Starchless Mold Gummies World's first drug-compliant chewable gel gummy manufactured using starchless mold technology, available in sugar and sugar-free options. Reduces cross-contamination risk compared to traditional starch molding processes. Targeted at OTC drug and VMS brand customers seeking a compliant gummy delivery format.
• SuperChew® Extruded Pan-Coated Chews Extruded and pan-coated chews with smooth outer shell and soft chewy center. Available in a broad range of FD&C or non-synthetic colors with identifier printed on the shell for OTC drug applications. Targeted at OTC drug and supplement brand customers.
• Gummies (Vitamin and Supplement) Pectin, starch, and gelatin-based vitamin and supplement gummies manufactured across sports nutrition, natural products, and nutraceutical applications. Targeted at consumer brands and retailers seeking finished or private-label gummy vitamin products.
• Soft Chew Individually wrapped chews with smooth chewy taffy-like texture, processed at low temperatures making them ideal for higher API loads and heat-sensitive ingredients. Targeted at OTC drug and supplement brand customers.
• Lozenges High-speed lozenge production exceeding 6 billion lozenges annually with liquid and powder center fill capabilities. Promotes immune health, digestive wellness, prevents dry mouth, shortens colds, and soothes sore throats. Features industry-leading 3-year shelf life with decades of ambient stability data.
• Contract Manufacturing Services Custom formulation development, lab-scale prototyping, process validation, packaging design, and full-scale production of OTC drugs, dietary supplements, and VMS products across gummy, lozenge, soft chew, SuperGel, and SuperChew formats. Includes quality and regulatory expertise for FDA and cGMP compliance. Targeted at consumer brands and national retailers.
• Private Label Manufacturing Diverse portfolio of stock formulations across five core dosage formats (gummies, SuperGel, SuperChew, soft chews, lozenges) available for private branding. Enables retail partners to launch store-brand health and wellness products without developing proprietary formulations.
• Probiotic Gummies Probiotic gummies manufactured at the Life Science Nutritionals (LSN) facility in Acton Vale, Quebec — the first probiotic gummy facility in North America. Products are dairy, gluten, and nut free.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 6 billion lozenges produced per year, making SCN BestCo the largest lozenge manufacturer in the US
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Makers Nutrition: US-based contract manufacturer and private-label packager of dietary supplements, including gummies, capsules, tablets, and powders. Directly comparable as a nutraceutical CDMO serving brands and retailers across multiple dosage formats.
• Best Formulations: CDMO of vitamins, supplements, and over-the-counter health products in tablets, capsules, softgels, gummies, and powders. Closely comparable as a multi-format nutraceutical and OTC contract manufacturer serving branded and private-label customers.
• NutraScience Labs: Contract manufacturer of dietary supplements in capsules, tablets, powders, and gummies for brands and private-label customers. Directly comparable as a gummy-capable supplement CDMO competing for the same brand and retailer contracts.
• Capstone Nutrition: US contract manufacturer specializing in gummy and chewable vitamins and supplements. Highly comparable given its focus on gummy dosage forms, overlapping customer base, and CDMO business model.
• Robinson Pharma: Full-service contract manufacturer and private-label producer of dietary supplements in softgels, tablets, capsules, and gummies. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated supplement CDMO serving brands and retailers.
• Vitakem: Contract manufacturer of nutritional supplements in powders, capsules, tablets, and gummies with private-label capabilities. Directly comparable as a multi-format nutraceutical CDMO.
• Procaps Laboratories: Global CDMO specializing in softgel and innovative oral dosage technologies for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical customers. Comparable as a contract developer and manufacturer of differentiated oral dosage forms.

Broad incumbents

• Church & Dwight: Large CPG company owning major gummy vitamin brands (e.g., Vitafusion, L'il Critters). Comparable as a buyer/competitor in the gummy vitamin space and as a benchmark for branded gummy supplement economics, though it is a brand owner rather than a CDMO.
• Adare Pharmaceuticals: Larger CDMO offering drug delivery and contract manufacturing services for pharmaceutical and consumer health customers. Comparable as a broader-scale CDMO competing for OTC and consumer health contract manufacturing opportunities.

Regional players

• Jamieson Wellness: Canadian-branded manufacturer of vitamins, minerals, and supplements with North American retail distribution. Comparable as a supplement manufacturer in adjacent geographies with overlapping product formats and retail customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SCNBestCo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SCNBestCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCNBestCo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/santa-cruz-nutritionals

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Santa Cruz Nutritionals