The Bank of England’s new £5 note sparked controversy this week, after it was discovered that its polymer fibre contains traces of animal fat.
The plastic polymer, initially lauded as genius for its ability to survive wear and tear, was found to also contain tallow, derived from meat products. It is traditionally used in every day staples such as soap and candles, but has become far less common of late due to animal rights activism.
Vegetarians and vegans took to Twitter to express their concern over the discovery:
. @bankofengland So unnecessary in 2016!
I will no longer be accepting these notes. Ironic I donated my #FirstFiver to a #Vegan sanctuary— Angela (@mizzaggie) November 28, 2016
As did others, who seemed to be less upset over the revelations:
Vegan campaigners insist new bank notes should be made of fruit and vegetable pulp thus giving everyone their fiver day.
— HaveIGotNewsForYou (@haveigotnews) November 30, 2016
Just had a fiver as a quick snack but couldn’t finish it pic.twitter.com/NDebtZwf9O
— Seann Walsh (@seannwalsh) November 30, 2016
The Bank of England has acknowledged the claims, saying, “We can confirm that the polymer pellet from which the base substrate is made contains a trace of a substance known as tallow.”
On Wednesday it added that it was “aware of some people’s concerns” and that it would treat them with the “utmost respect”. It added that it was in talks with their supplier, who was looking at “potential solutions”.
“Information recently provided by our supplier, Innovia, and its supply chain shows that an extremely small amount of tallow is used in an early stage of the production process of polymer pellets, which are then used to create the base substrate for the £5 note.
“Innovia is now working intensively with its supply chain and will keep the Bank informed on progress towards potential solutions.
“This issue has only just come to light, and the Bank did not know about it when the contract was signed.”