TUNNOCK’S TEACAKES have been condemned by environmental campaigners – who claim they are contributing to the extinction of orangutans and tigers.
Eco-warriors have claimed that Tunnock’s may be contributing to the destruction of rainforests by using palm oil in their chocolate treats.
Palm oil production is one of the leading causes of deforestation in rainforests which house some of the world’s most endangered species.
And now campaigners have accused the 125 -year-old family company of refusing to blacklist palm oil suppliers who clear vast areas of jungle to grow palm trees.
So far over 2,000 people have signed the campaign demanding that Tunnock’s stop using palm oil in all of their products – including their famed tea cakes and wafers.
And some have even declared that they will boycott biscuits and cakes made by the company until their demands are met.
One outraged signatory of the campaign said: “Wafers or Orangutans? No-brainer really. Bye bye, Tunnock’s.”
Louise Devlin, who kickstarted the campaign, said: “Tunnock’s is a well-known and loved brand, not only in Scotland, but around the world.
“Using uncertified palm oil in biscuits is contributing to the destruction of rainforests and the near extinction of orangutans and tigers.”
The petition calls for Tunnock’s to stop using palm oil – instead using a more expensive “identity preserved” oil which does not come from plantations which have been established on cleared forests.
Tunnock’s Snowballs are made using a blend of palm oil and palm kernel oil.
Meanwhile the world-famous Tea Cakes are made using palm oil and shea butter.
Palm oil is also found in a whole host of daily everyday products – including lipstick and shampoo.
A spokesman for Greenpeace said that companies should aim for a “zero deforestation” policy – and that they should examine their suppliers to make sure that their palm oil “doesn’t come from people destroying forests.”
Tea Cake boss Boyd Tunnock – whose grandfather launched the company in 1890 – is a supporter of animal conservation and a member of the Edinburgh Zoological Society.
However the 82-year-old declined to comment when asked about the petition.
