New £5 Note Contains Traces Of Animal Fat, Sparking Petition To Bank Of England Over Tallow

The Bank of England has revealed the notes contain traces of animal fat.

Vegetarians and vegans have been left horrified after it was revealed that the new £5 note contains a derivative of animal fat.

This was revealed when the Bank of England responded to a tweet asking if the polymer note, which was introduced earlier this year, contains tallow:

Tallow is a is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, sometimes used in the production items including soap and candles.

The Bank of England said that they provided the following explanation to any members of the public who asked about the inclusion of tallow...

“We can confirm that the polymer pellet from which the base substrate is made contains a trace of a substance known as tallow.

“Tallow is derived from animal fats (suet) and is a substance that is also widely used in the manufacture of candles and soap.”

A petition calling on the Bank to produce notes without tallow had gained over 15,000 signatures at the time of writing.

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney demonstrates the new £5 note's durability
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney demonstrates the new £5 note's durability
Stefan Wermuth/PA Wire

It read: “The new £5 notes contain animal fat in the form of tallow. This is unacceptable to millions of vegans & vegetarians in the UK.

“We demand that you cease to use animal products in the production of currency that we have to use. “

A number of people on social media also expressed their horror at the revelation...

The new five pound notes aren't vegan!! They contain tallow, which is derived from animal fat 😡 #vegan #govegan pic.twitter.com/QQbrsplweh

— The Vegan Punk (@TheVeganPunk) November 28, 2016

I am outraged about the new 5 pound note as a vegan this is disappointing.

— Ahmed (@ahmedsufi18) November 29, 2016

Finding out that there's tallow in those ridiculous new fivers makes me hate them more

— Festive Cass ❄️ (@Cassass1n) November 29, 2016

Although some seemed less bothered...

New fivers aren't vegan. pic.twitter.com/MiTRXxkdTO

— Paddy (@Pads45N) November 28, 2016

The new £5 note isn't vegan pic.twitter.com/o1IeaAhSvp

— GÜRG. (@SunnymanEwers) November 29, 2016

The new note said by the Bank of England to be cleaner, safer and stronger than paper notes, lasting around five years longer.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney said of the new note: “The use of polymer means it can better withstand being repeatedly folded into wallets or scrunched up inside pockets and can also survive a spin in the washing machine.

“We expect polymer notes to last at least two and-a-half times longer than the current generation of fivers and therefore reduce future costs of production.”

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