Planta, produced by Unilever was the first margarine to be imported into Malaysia in 1930[1]. It is now a widely used ingredient in a variety of local and Malaysian style cuisines such as Chicken Rice, Roti Canai (or roti planta[1]), roadside burgers, local coffee and a large selection of cakes, pastries and desserts. Planta is a fortified margarine consisting mainly of hydrogenated palm oil as the main ingredient, which is high in saturated fat.
In August 1960, two people died eating Planta-brand margarine. The culprit was a new chemical ingredient which aided the margarine's texture. The ingredient led to serious illnesses and skin irritations. Across Europe, margarine brands saw reduced sales - which the UK's Butter Information Council rather insensitively referred to as a 'Godsend' after years of being outdone by expensive margarine advertising.