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A new £5 note issued by the Bank of England has generated concern and anger among religious groups, vegans and vegetarians after it emerged that it contained traces of animal fat.
The note entered circulation in September, but its controversial content only emerged on Monday after the Bank of England responded to a question on Twitter confirming that there was a “trace of tallow in the polymer pallets used in the base substrate of the polymer £5 notes.”
“Tallow is derived from animal fats (suet) and is a substance that is also widely used in the manufacture of candles and soap,” the central bank said in a subsequent statement.
An online petition calling for the bank to cease using animal products in its notes swiftly gained support: at the time of writing, more than 90,000 people had signed it. The notes were “unacceptable to millions of vegans, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and others in the UK,” it reads.
The new note is the first of a polymer-based series being brought out by the central bank as part of a drive to make notes that “last longer, stay cleaner and are harder to counterfeit than paper notes.”
‘Shock and anger’Indian groups expressed their concern about the revelations. “There is huge disappointment, shock and anger among our members specially who are vegetarians, Jains, Hindus and Sikhs,” said Poonam Joshi, founder of Indian Ladies UK, a networking group for first generation migrants. “Thousands have already signed the petition.”
Trupti Patel, President of the Hindu Forum of Britain, which represents over 300 Hindu organisations, expressed her surprise about the move, which, she said, contrasted with the largely inclusive and sensitive approach of UK authorities. “Currency is not a choice,” she said. She noted the logistical problem it would pose for temples across Britain, many of which did not allow even garlic or onions. “To have the new £5 note in the donation boxes would be totally and utterly unacceptable,” she said.
To some, the controversy might hark back to 1857, when British officers’ insistence on using animal fat cartridges in India triggered a mutiny. However, Patel said she believed the inclusion of animal fat was simply an oversight by UK authorities. “I think it’s most likely a mistake. When you develop something new and its animal content doesn’t matter to you, you just don’t think of it.”
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