Tesco under fire for selling fruit not suitable for vegans

Tesco has come under fire for selling fruit that is not suitable for vegans.

Britain’s biggest supermarket is looking for alternatives to the wax that is applied on some of its fruit after harvesting as it contains shellac, a resin secreted by the female lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand.

Tesco confirmed that its oranges are labelled non-vegan because of the post-harvest beeswax.

It means consumers following a vegan diet are unable to use the zest from orange peel in their cooking. Some other citrus fruits including lemons and limes are also affected.

Those looking for a strictly plant-based diet have to buy organic citrus fruits to avoid the wax.

Beeswax is a common treatment for citrus fruit as it helps keep fruit fresher for longer.

However, the growing popularity of plant-based diets means the supermarket is now working with growers to develop an alternative wax that avoids shellac.

Watch: Six Health Benefits of Being Vegan

'Tesco has let its standards slide'

Although Tesco is changing its products, customers criticised the supermarket for being slow to act.

A user named Amy wrote: "It's not something I have ever thought about. I assumed fruit was always vegan."

Charmaine added: "Most (supermarkets) have taken action. Clearly Tesco has let its standards slide."

Restaurants have also had to warn vegan customers when listing citrus fruits on their menu.

Jack Monroe, the author and anti-food poverty campaigner, questioned in December last year why a Pizza Express menu said a glass of Coca Cola would only be vegan if "served without lemon".

Ms Monroe tweeted: "Erm, what do Pizza Express do to their lemons to make them not suitable for vegans? Just noticed this and can’t for the life of me fathom wtf."

Pizza Express said: "The wax on waxed lemons contain shellac, which is derived from insects and therefore strictly not vegan."