New polymer £5 notes contain ANIMAL FAT causing veggie fury
THE new £5 notes contain traces of animal fat the Bank of England has confirmed.
The news has sparked outrage from vegans and vegetarians after it was revealed the cash contains tallow, a substance made from animal fat.
It came to light when the Bank of England replied to a question on Twitter regarding the make up of the notes, the reports.
They confirmed: “There is a trace of tallow in the polymer pellets used in the base substrate of the polymer £5 notes.”
It caused a social media backlash with users deeming it “disgraceful”, “gross” and a “disappointing”.
Others called for a review into the way the note is made.
More than 3,000 people have signed a petition to remove tallow from the new currency.
The petition, started by Doug Maw, said: “This is unacceptable to millions of vegans & vegetarians in the U.K.
“We demand that you cease to use animal products in the production of currency that we have to use.”
The new plastic £5 notes marked a new era for British banknotes and have extra security features to prevent forgeries.
Printed on polymer, a thin and flexible plastic, they are scheduled to replace paper fivers by May, 2017.
The notes, which bear a portrait of Sir Winston Churchill, are 15 per cent smaller than the paper notes they are replacing and are said to last more than twice as long.
A smaller plastic £10 note featuring novelist Jane Austen will go into circulation next summer and a £20 polymer note, featuring the artist JMW Turner, is due by 2020.
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