Asahi Kasei has acquired halal certification¹ for Ceolus™ and Celphere™ microcrystalline cellulose products, which are used as pharmaceutical excipients and food stabilizers, by The Assessment Institute for Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics, the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI). The institute is an official Indonesian organization for halal certification.

Inquiries regarding halal certification of our products have increased in line with growth of the world’s Muslim population and expansion of markets for halal products. By acquiring halal certification, we enable our customers to manufacture their own halal-certified products using our microcrystalline cellulose.

To obtain the certification, we adopted a new quality control system for halal compliance through an effort across the whole factory. We also performed education and training to provide our employees and relevant outside parties with a better understanding of Islam and halal culture.

MUI, the organization from which we acquired halal certification, is a globally recognized certification authority. Located in Muslim-majority Indonesia, MUI cooperates with other major halal certification bodies around the world enabling mutual recognition of halal certifications.

Asahi Kasei will continue to strive for manufacturing and distribution systems that are able to meet various needs so that our products may be used by customers with diverse cultures and customs.

• ¹Halal certification indicates that products are permissible for Muslims in accordance with Islamic doctrine. In particular, products are certified as being free from contamination by pork or pork-derived ingredients. There is no single international standard.