The UK introduced new money in September of this year. It turns out that the money contains minute traces of beef fat. The currency is a form of plastic polymer, which lasts longer than the traditional paper, and apparently allows better security features.

The material is manufactured by a company called Innovia Films Films, which supplies material to a number of other countries. The company says the problem stems from a supplier, and that they are attempting to remedy the situation. The material I have found so far does not indicate if this company supplies materials to India, or to other countries where the beef fat content might offend residents.

This is a more serious matter than it may sound like. The UK has something like 800,000 Hindus, and a substantial number of vegans, more than 500,000 according to a Guardian  story on the subject. According to the story, The animal fat content may also offend Sikhs and Jains.

This may remind history buffs that the quite bloody “Sepoy Rebellion”, better known today as India’s first war of independence, supposedly started when cartridges given to Muslim and Hindu soldiers (the sepoys) contained beef and pig fat.

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