// Tesco working with suppliers after fruit peel revealed not to be vegan
// Move by the UK’s biggest retailer follows similar issues at restaurant chain Pizza Express
The UK’s biggest retailer Tesco has come in for criticism after labelling some of its fruit as unsuitable for vegans.
Tesco is now 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 has confirmed that its oranges are labelled as non-vegan because of the application of the post-harvest beeswax in the production process.
This means that 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.
READ MORE: Tesco vegan burger ads banned for “misleading” customers
Beeswax is a common treatment for citrus fruit as it helps keep fruit fresher for longer and those looking for a strictly plant-based diet have to buy organic citrus fruits to avoid the wax.
However, the growing popularity of plant-based diets means the supermarket is now working with growers to develop an alternative wax that avoids shellac.
Although Tesco, which saw plant-based sales during Veganuary, is changing its products, customers criticised the supermarket for being slow to act.
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