Amber Glass Bottles — UV Protection for Pharmaceuticals
Amber glass offers up to 99% UV protection at wavelengths of 290-450nm, making it the gold standard packaging for light-sensitive medicines, syrups, vitamins, and essential oils.
What is Amber Glass and Why is it Important for Pharmaceuticals?
Amber glass is a variant of soda-lime glass (Type III) specially formulated with iron oxide (Fe2O3), carbon, and sulfur colorants to produce its characteristic dark brown color. This amber color is not merely aesthetic — its primary function is as a natural filter that absorbs and blocks ultraviolet (UV) rays in the 290-450 nanometer wavelength range. This light protection capability makes amber glass the primary packaging material of choice for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and essential oil products that are light-sensitive.
Photodegradation, or light-induced damage, is one of the primary causes of drug quality deterioration. UV rays can trigger photochemical reactions that decompose or alter the molecular structure of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), producing degradation products that can reduce drug efficacy or even cause toxicity. For example, vitamin A (retinol), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), nifedipine, furosemide, and many antibiotics are known to be highly sensitive to light exposure. Using amber glass bottles significantly slows this photodegradation rate.
Pharmaglass manufactures high-quality amber glass bottles at our cGMP and ISO 15378 certified factory facility in Serang, Banten. Each batch of our amber bottles is rigorously tested to ensure color consistency and light transmission levels meeting standards. Pharmaglass amber glass bottles are available in various formats: syrup bottles (60ml-500ml), dropper bottles, essential oil bottles, and herbal beverage bottles. As a trusted pharmaceutical glass bottle supplier, we serve hundreds of pharmaceutical companies across Indonesia.
Chemical Composition & UV Protection Properties of Amber Glass
The base composition of amber glass is the same as Type III soda-lime glass: silica (SiO2) 70-75%, sodium oxide (Na2O) 12-16%, and calcium oxide (CaO) 5-12%. What differentiates it is the addition of special coloring agents: iron oxide (Fe2O3) as the primary colorant that absorbs UV rays, carbon acting as a reducing agent to control the oxidation state of iron, and sulfur which synergizes with iron to produce a consistent amber color.
The UV protection mechanism of amber glass works through selective absorption. Iron ions in the glass absorb UV photons and convert them into harmless heat energy, rather than transmitting them to the product inside the bottle. High-quality amber glass can block over 99% of UV rays at wavelengths below 400nm, and approximately 90% of visible light at wavelengths below 450nm. USP standards require that amber glass for pharmaceutical packaging must have light transmission of no more than 10% at specific wavelengths depending on wall thickness and bottle size.
The physical properties of amber glass are largely identical to clear/flint glass — softening point around 720 degrees Celsius, density of 2.44-2.52 g/cm3, and hydrolytic resistance meeting USP Type III requirements. The main difference lies in its optical properties: amber glass transmits very little light in the UV-Vis spectrum below 450nm, while clear glass transmits nearly the entire visible light spectrum. The colorants in amber glass do not affect its surface chemical properties, so it remains safe as direct-contact packaging for pharmaceutical products.
Amber Glass Bottle Applications Across Industries
Syrups & Liquid Medicines
Cough syrups, liquid antibiotics, suspensions, emulsions, and oral solutions containing photosensitive active ingredients.
Vitamins & Supplements
Liquid vitamins (A, B, C, D, E, K), iron supplements, fish oil, and light-sensitive multivitamins.
Essential Oils & Aromatherapy
Essential oils, carrier oils, blend oils, and aromatherapy products requiring maximum UV protection.
Eye Drops & Droppers
Eye drops, ear drops, and nasal solutions requiring light protection and precise dosing.
Traditional Herbal Medicine
Traditional herbal medicines, herbal extracts, tinctures, and phytopharmaceutical products.
Chemical & Lab Products
Laboratory reagents, photosensitive chemicals, and standard solutions requiring dark storage.
USP & EP Standards for Pharmaceutical Amber Glass
USP <660> establishes specific requirements for amber glass used as primary pharmaceutical packaging. In addition to meeting the hydrolytic resistance test as Type III glass (no more than 8.5 mL of 0.02N HCl per gram of glass in the Powdered Glass Test), amber glass must also meet strict light transmission requirements. USP standards require that amber glass must not transmit more than a specified percentage of light at wavelengths of 290-450nm, depending on wall thickness and bottle diameter.
European Pharmacopoeia (EP) 3.2.1 has similar requirements but with slightly different testing methods. EP classifies amber glass as "coloured glass" and sets light transmission limits at wavelengths of 290-450nm. Both USP and EP aim to ensure that amber glass provides adequate light protection to maintain pharmaceutical product stability throughout the designated shelf life.
Pharmaglass performs light transmission testing using UV-Vis spectrophotometers at our QC laboratory to verify that every batch of amber glass bottles meets the required light transmission limits. Each batch comes with a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) covering hydrolytic test results, light transmission testing, dimensions, and visual inspection. This data can be used by our customers for BPOM documentation and quality audits. Contact our manufacturer team for more technical information.
FAQ — Amber Pharmaceutical Glass Bottles
What makes amber glass bottles effective at protecting products from light?
Amber glass bottles contain iron oxide (Fe2O3), carbon, and sulfur in their formulation that absorb and block UV rays at wavelengths of 290-450nm. The characteristic dark brown amber color can block up to 99% of UV rays that can cause photodegradation of active pharmaceutical ingredients. This makes amber glass the primary choice for packaging liquid medicines, vitamins, syrups, and essential oils that are light-sensitive.
Which pharmaceutical products should use amber glass bottles?
Products that should use amber glass bottles include: drug syrups containing photosensitive active ingredients, vitamin solutions (especially Vitamins A, B2, B6, C, D, E, and K), liquid antibiotics, cough syrups, certain eye drops, antiseptic solutions, as well as essential oils and volatile oils. BPOM and international pharmacopoeias recommend using dark-colored containers for these products.
What is the difference between amber glass and cobalt blue glass for UV protection?
Amber glass provides the highest UV protection (blocking up to 99% UV at 290-450nm) and is the pharmaceutical industry standard for light-sensitive drug packaging. Cobalt blue glass provides good UV protection but lower than amber, while offering premium aesthetics with its distinctive blue color. Amber glass is more economical and common for pharmaceuticals, while cobalt blue is more popular for essential oils and aromatherapy.
What is the price of amber glass bottles from Pharmaglass?
Amber glass bottle prices vary depending on size, order volume, and finishing specifications. MOQ starts from 10,000 pcs per design. To get an accurate price quote, please contact the Pharmaglass sales team via WhatsApp at 08155775432 or visit our contact page. We offer competitive factory-direct pricing with cGMP and ISO 15378 certification.
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