The Bank of England has responded to pressure over production techniques of the country’s new £5 note which entered in effect in September.
The new fivers are made from polymer plastic which has animal fat as an ingredient.
When this became known earlier this week a number of people, vegans and vegetarians prominent among them, signed an online petition urging a change in production to eliminate the use of tallow which is typically made from beef or mutton fat.
More than 106,000 people quickly supported the petition.
The Bank of England announced on Wednesday evening that the company supplying the polymer is working on “potential solutions” and added that it had not known about the matter when it contracted the polymer.
“We are aware of some people’s concerns about traces of tallow in our new five pound note,” a Bank spokesperson said. “We respect those concerns and are treating them with the utmost seriousness.”
The new plastic currency is reported to be 2.5 times more durable than paper notes and able to survive the agitation of washing machines although not the heat of tumble dryers.
They are also significantly harder to forge.
Polymer £10 notes are scheduled for introduction next summer with £20s reaching circulation by 2020.
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