BASF obtains halal certification for personal care products

BASF is offering 145 ingredients for personal and home care products which have been certified to the international halal standard HAS 23000.

In order to gain the halal certification for its products, Illertissen and Düsseldorf – BASF’s largest production site for personal care ingredients -underwent four audits.

BASF’s portfolio of halal ingredients ranges from sugar-based surfactants, pearlizers, emollients and protein derivatives for personal care applications – such as facial cleansers or baby bubble baths – to detergent and cleaning agents, and raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry.

These ingredients have been approved by Halal Control, Russelsheim, or the Halal Food Council of Europe, Brussels, which are both recognised by the Indonesian Council of Ulama (Majelis Ulama Indonesia) – a major umbrella association of Islamic quality management organisations.

BASF head of business management personal care specialties Europe Dirk Mampe said: "With our new halal-certified product portfolio we want to adequately respond to the needs of the Muslim populations and offer products that are considered to be pure in accordance with Islamic law.

"Thus, we are able to better serve our customers in the predominantly Muslim countries of the Maghreb, the Middle East and Asia."

With over 200 million Muslims, the Asian island state is home to a huge number of potential consumers of halal personal and home care products.

In 2014, Indonesia passed a law that will require all products to be labelled either halal or haram from 2019 onwards.

Mampe said: "Western consumers are also starting to request halal-certified products. The fact that halal products can be traced back through the entire value chain is important for them in terms of quality assurance. In this light, we will continue to expand our portfolio of halal ingredients."

In order to comply with HAS 23000, ensuring the ritual purity of products is crucial. Production lines carrying halal-compliant ingredients have to undergo special cleaning procedures before they can be regarded as halal. They also must be separated from those carrying products that have been in contact with substances that are considered to be impure in accordance with Islamic law.

To get halal certification, use of alternative production lines is strictly prohibited. Firms must equally strict guidelines apply to raw materials – their origins and transport conditions must be fully documented to ensure the entire value chain is halal, the company stated.