New Bank of England’s 5 pound note made of animal fat
Q. A new Bank of England’s 5 pound note has angered vegetarians because:- Published on 05 Dec 16a. It extolls the virtues of non-vegetarianism.
b. It contains traces of animal fat.
c. It is reserved for use by non-vegans.
d. None of the above
ANSWER: It contains traces of animal fat.
The new £5 note issued by the Bank of England has angered the vegetarians after it was revealed that it contains traces of animal fat.
The 5 pound note entered circulation in Sept 2016. But the presence of the meat substance was only confirmed on 28th Nov 2016 by a Bank of England tweet.
The new five pound notes are printed on polymer, a film which is thin and made of plastic; it is more durable and safer as compared to paper money.
Within the polymer pallets used in the creation of the film is a substance called
tallow derived from
animal fat.
Tallow is commonly used in candles and soap.
About the Protest- Online petition initiated by Doug Maw has gained more than 90,000 signatures calling the notes unacceptable.
- Vegan communities such as Hindus, Sikhs and Jains have also joined in the protest.
- As per the petitioners, the presence of animal fat is a violation of vegan preference to not harm animals.
- The new note is not the only one based on polymer.
New polymer notes of the following denominations will also be out:
- £10: 2017
- £20: 2020
Decision to shift to polymer is because:
- Notes last longer
- They stay cleaner
- They are harder to copy.
