FAKE fur can no longer be seen as vegan friendly after an investigation has shown it contains leather, wool and even goat hair.
Animal rights activists have long tried to persuade the vegan community to ditch real fur in favour of fake fur, claiming it is animal free.
But an investigation by a US scientist shows the animal rights movement have once again got their facts wrong.
An analysis of fake fur patents shows many products products contain:
- Wool
- Leather
- Animal hair
- Silk
The research was carried out by Dr David Jones, a leading patents expert in the USA.
The news will upset the army of vegans who have latched onto the animal rights movement.
Just this week, PETA launched another campaign to persuade people that fake fur is animal free.
But vegans will be distressed to learn how animals are used to make fake fur garments, especially in China.
The leather will be harvested from animals, which have been slaughtered in abattoirs.
The usual method of killing is by firing a bolt into the animal’s skull.
This method is widely used on cattle, sheep and some pigs. A gun fires a metal bolt into the brain of the animal causing it to die immediately.
Sometimes, an electrical current is passed through the animal’s brain via a large pair of tongs, causing temporary loss of consciousness.
Some systems also pass the current through the heart, so the animal is not just stunned but also killed.
Gas stunning is the third popular method. It involves the use of gas mixtures. Animals are exposed to high concentrations of gas and killed in large numbers.
Skinning animals for leather is also widely practiced in China.
The most popular is an “open skinning” method. It’s a method where the skin is removed from the animal like a jacket. This method is generally used if the skin is going to be tanned immediately or frozen for storage.
The other method is “case-skinning”. It is widely practiced on smaller animals. Animal skin is peeled from the animal like a sock, leaving the skin mostly undamaged in the shape of a tube.
It also turned out that PETA failed to warn their large body of vegan supporters of the amounts of animal products in fake fur.
Camlet was one of many animal products found in the fake fur. It is a woven fabric that is originally made of camel or goat’s hair.
Wool is the other textile contained in fake fur. It is widely obtained from sheep and other animals, including cashmere from goats and angora from rabbits.
Fake fur can even have silk ingredients – composed of fibroin and produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons.
The fake fur will be used to make garments such as dresses, coats, jackets and work clothes. This means that fake fur lovers are no longer guaranteed that their fur –free items are completely animal free.
In its latest video campaign against fur, PETA lectured bystanders on the differences between real and fake fur .
Not only have they misled its audience that fake fur has no animal material in it, but it also attempted to give consumer guideline on how to tell the difference between real and fake fur.
Other animal rights organisations also followed the trend and urged consumers to go fur free and choose a fake alternative.
People who want the look of real fur, faux fur can be a good alternative.
—PETA
Make it Fake for the Animals’ Sake.
—Humane Society US
Watch out for fur trim on gloves, coats and boots. Check the label to ensure that you are buying fake fur.
—Animal Aid UK
Amazing fake furs – there is plenty to choose from.
—VIVA! Vegan organisation.
Fake fur designers often outsource production to China, attracted by cheap labour.
David R. Jones, Ph.D has over 20 years experience in technology intelligence. He holds degrees in BA Biochemistry from Bowdoin College and a Ph.D in Synthetic Organic/Medicinal Chemistry from University of Pennsylvania
