News From : DagangHalal.com (06 Aug 2009)
Malaysia’s Titan Chemicals claimed yesterday that it has become the first petrochemical company in the world to have their polyolefins (polypropylene and polyethylene) certified Halal by the Halal Development Corporation (HDC) in Malaysia and Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) in Indonesia respectively.
The concept of Halal resins was first proposed with the aim of manufacturing polyolefine resin with raw material free from animal derivatives to fulfill the Halal requirements, said the company. The initiative proved to be a viable option for the manufacturing of polyolefins resin.
The statement is a rather bizarre addition to the downstream newsbeat, as animal derivatives are not standard raw materials in the prodcution of petrochemical products.
The key raw materials for all downstream manufacturing are hydrocarbons, formed of decomposed organic matter under pressure for millions of years. The company did not reveal how they have ascertained the exact origin and composition of its feedstock.
It will be interesting to see if other international manufacturers follow suit.
Titan Chemicals is a joint venture between The Chao Group and Permodalan National Berhad (PNB).
Reporting by Abdelghani Henni and Daniel Canty
Source: arabianOilandGas.com