In response to changes in supplier certifications and increased customer demand, a plastic tube fittings supplier now includes certified animal-free USP Class VI polypropylene as one of its core resin offerings. With the change, any part from Value Plastics, Fort Collins, CO, that is currently offered in standard polypropylene will now also be offered in Flinthills P5M6K-080 resin that comes with the USP Class VI and animal-free certification, which can benefit medical and biopharm product manufacturers.

The supplier attributes part of the market demand for animal-free resins to the detected presence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, in some materials. Animal-free alternative resins eliminate potential traces of BSE in product components. To spare customers the hassle of going through the extensive paperwork submission process for USP Class VI certification, the supplier offers the option of simply switching to its animal-free polypropylene resin.