Fury over animal fat in fivers

In this Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016 file photo, a Bank of England employee shows the new five pound note at the Bank of England Museum in London. The new plastic 5-pound note is stronger, cleaner and safer, but vegans and vegetarians are calling for the new bank notes, which have only been in circulation for two months, to be replaced because they are made with a substance derived from animal fat. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

In this Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016 file photo, a Bank of England employee shows the new five pound note at the Bank of England Museum in London. The new plastic 5-pound note is stronger, cleaner and safer, but vegans and vegetarians are calling for the new bank notes, which have only been in circulation for two months, to be replaced because they are made with a substance derived from animal fat. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

Published Dec 2, 2016

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London - The Bank of England said its supplier of currency, Innovia, is working toward removing the use of animal fat in the production of its new plastic £5 note after objection raised by thousands of vegetarians.

The bank said it did not know about traces of tallow, which contains animal fats, in the production of the currency when it signed the contract with Innovia.

“We are aware of some people’s concerns in our new note. We respect those concerns and are treating them with the utmost seriousness,” the bank said in a statement.

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Earlier, the Bank of England confirmed that tallow is used in the production of the new currency, after an online petition against its use in the notes was signed by more 100 000 supporters in less than two days

REUTERS

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