A Tesco shopper was left 'shocked' after finding out that some of the supermarket's fruit and vegetables were not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
The revelation came to light when the woman tried to purchase a few pieces of fruit only to be left 'shaken' by the notion that some of them were not edible for non-meat eaters.
She took to social media to vent about her shock after she wanted to buy some oranges, mandarins and satsumas from the supermarket that were labelled as non 'vegan, reports The Manchester Evening News.
Taking to Twitter, she said: “I am shocked to find out that the oranges I was trying to buy all day are not vegan. Pfft.”
It turns out, the reason the fruit is classed as non-vegan is due to a coating that is used to keep the fruit fresh, but Tesco has assured shoppers the actual fruit is suitable for vegans and they are looking into vegan-friendly alternative coatings.
The reason the coating is non-vegan is due to chemicals used, often pesticides, to make the fruit look and grow better. Imazalil - banned in all but tiny amounts - is the common non-vegan item used by growers on their fruit and veg. The E904 version of the chemical, as it will be shown on any label, is a wax made of shellac.
There are also other versions of the same wax which are made up of beeswax to give fruits such as oranges a shine. Vegans don’t eat shellac or beeswax as they come from animals and therefore aren’t part of a plant based diet.
The added chemical also drew attention to the hazardous pesticide Propiconazole, banned apart from tiny amounts by the EU as it is hazardous to health. Now that the UK has left Europe, Propiconazole is no longer regulated as harshly and is being used as a pesticide on fruit and veg. It is known to have cancer increasing qualities.
There was widespread criticism of the use of pesticides, especially the two listed above. One social media commenter said: “Propiconazole banned by the EU because of risks to fertility and to the health of the unborn child. Propiconazole is now on fruit in the UK. Important work done by the EU in assessing safety of chemicals - now ditched by Govt.”
Another said: “When fruit isn't suitable for Vegans you know something bad is happening.” With one explaining: “Imazalil & propiconazole are fungicides & are the reason why we should've been(long before now) scrubbing citrus fruits before using the peel & washing hands after peeling & before eating treated fruit. Better to buy organic, untreated fruits when available.”
According to My London, non-vegan fruit with similar coating can also be found in both Marks and Spencer and Morrisons.
Tesco has said that applying wax post-harvest is common treatment for conventional citrus packaging in the industry.
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