Thursday, December 01, 2016 9:40:57 AM
Innovia to solve meaty issue of new fiver
PRW By DOMENIC DONATANTONIO 1 Dec 2016 UPDATED 1/12/2016
https://goo.gl/5tDUaP
The new £5 is the first in the series of UK polymer-based notes
Innovia, the Cumbria-based producer of the polymer substrate for the new plastic £5, has said it will look at vegetable-based alternatives to the use of animal fat in the new notes.
Vegans have expressed anger because the new polymer fiver contains a small amount of tallow, which is derived from animal waste products.
A petition to ban the note has attracted more than 100,000 signatures.
The Bank of England said in a statement: “We are aware of some people’s concerns about traces of tallow in our new five pound note. We respect those concerns and are treating them with the utmost seriousness.
“This issue has only just come to light, and the Bank did not know about it when the contract was signed.
“Information recently provided by our supplier, Innovia, and its supply chain shows that an extremely small amount of tallow is used in an early stage of the production process of polymer pellets, which are then used to create the base substrate for the five pound note.”
In response, Innovia stressed that resins used to make polymer banknotes, sourced from suppliers, contain small amounts of additives that act as stabilisers, anti-block, anti-static or slip agents or as other functional processing aids.
The firm said: “These additives, which are important for the final properties of the banknote and are commonly used across the plastics industry, make up less than one per cent of the resin and will include tiny traces of tallow.
“We are currently in active discussions with our suppliers for them to develop alternative additives using vegetable based ingredients.”
Innovia Security is currently producing the substrate at its facility in Wigton, reported to have been the subject of investment of around £40m.
The new plastic fiver, which bears an image of former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, came into circulation on 13 September.
The petition against the use of animal products in making the new fiver, hosted on the Change.org website, called on the Bank of England to "cease to use animal products in the production of currency that we have to use".
It stated that tallow is "unacceptable to millions of vegans, vegetarians, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and others in the UK".
A number of Sikh and Hindus have also urged the notes be banned from temples, where meat products are forbidden.
Hindus believe cows are holy and sacred, and many do not wear shoes or carry bags made from the skin of cattle that has been slaughtered. Practising Sikhs are strict vegetarians.
The response from the UK's Hindu and Sikh communities began to gather pace after vegans and vegetarians voiced their feelings on social media earlier this week.
https://goo.gl/5tDUaP
PRW By DOMENIC DONATANTONIO 1 Dec 2016 UPDATED 1/12/2016
https://goo.gl/5tDUaP
The new £5 is the first in the series of UK polymer-based notes
Innovia, the Cumbria-based producer of the polymer substrate for the new plastic £5, has said it will look at vegetable-based alternatives to the use of animal fat in the new notes.
Vegans have expressed anger because the new polymer fiver contains a small amount of tallow, which is derived from animal waste products.
A petition to ban the note has attracted more than 100,000 signatures.
The Bank of England said in a statement: “We are aware of some people’s concerns about traces of tallow in our new five pound note. We respect those concerns and are treating them with the utmost seriousness.
“This issue has only just come to light, and the Bank did not know about it when the contract was signed.
“Information recently provided by our supplier, Innovia, and its supply chain shows that an extremely small amount of tallow is used in an early stage of the production process of polymer pellets, which are then used to create the base substrate for the five pound note.”
In response, Innovia stressed that resins used to make polymer banknotes, sourced from suppliers, contain small amounts of additives that act as stabilisers, anti-block, anti-static or slip agents or as other functional processing aids.
The firm said: “These additives, which are important for the final properties of the banknote and are commonly used across the plastics industry, make up less than one per cent of the resin and will include tiny traces of tallow.
“We are currently in active discussions with our suppliers for them to develop alternative additives using vegetable based ingredients.”
Innovia Security is currently producing the substrate at its facility in Wigton, reported to have been the subject of investment of around £40m.
The new plastic fiver, which bears an image of former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, came into circulation on 13 September.
The petition against the use of animal products in making the new fiver, hosted on the Change.org website, called on the Bank of England to "cease to use animal products in the production of currency that we have to use".
It stated that tallow is "unacceptable to millions of vegans, vegetarians, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and others in the UK".
A number of Sikh and Hindus have also urged the notes be banned from temples, where meat products are forbidden.
Hindus believe cows are holy and sacred, and many do not wear shoes or carry bags made from the skin of cattle that has been slaughtered. Practising Sikhs are strict vegetarians.
The response from the UK's Hindu and Sikh communities began to gather pace after vegans and vegetarians voiced their feelings on social media earlier this week.
https://goo.gl/5tDUaP
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