I never opened these- I think the fish oil she has us take is safe to swallow whole as well as her own BOMAMED formulas are safe to swallow unopened.  I do open the SF722 capsules ( pretty intense that SF722) because they- Thorne the maker had changed the capsule from beef geletin to Tilapia geletin capsule and it really made me flare somewhat. I sometimes open the capsule of Matia's formulas and of my other herbs because I enjoy the tastes- rheummania peony, rhodolia has grown on me and the siberian ginseng is pretty yummy I think. So you should be fine just swallowing them as they are- if I'm wrong I hope someone will correct me!
 
Mary