0:00:02 > 0:00:04'From the clothes we wear to the cars we drive,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08'from what we use to look good to what we use to relax.'
0:00:08 > 0:00:12- THEY CHEER - 'Our lives are full of products.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15'And our products are full of animals.'
0:00:18 > 0:00:23In the past few years, I've learned quite a lot about how the meat we eat reaches our plates.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27'But I've always wondered what happens to the bits of the animal we don't eat.
0:00:27 > 0:00:33'And it turns out that these leftover parts are made into things we use every day.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:35That is a symbolic noise for, like, leather.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38'As well as some things you couldn't even imagine.'
0:00:40 > 0:00:45Oh, my God! My face is on fire!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48I've never, ever smelt anything like that.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54'To find out how, I'm going on an extraordinary journey to see these raw animal parts
0:00:54 > 0:00:56'transformed into shiny new products.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01'And I'm going to be joined by the people who use them to see what they make of it.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:04- The sheep need to get slaughtered. - Will we be in the room?
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Oh, my God!
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Mine had a testicle on it!
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Don't film me being sick.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19'We'll be going behind the doors of unknown companies and into hidden worlds.'
0:01:19 > 0:01:23That is just such a weird vision, just skin hanging there.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27This is when we see what's inside the chest.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31- 'Getting hands-on.'- I don't think that's going to go in there, Julia.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36'And discovering what makes these animal leftovers so indispensible.'
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- I can't even look at it! - What am I doing here with these?
0:01:38 > 0:01:43Could knowing that so many of our favourite items contain animals
0:01:43 > 0:01:45change the way we feel about them forever?
0:01:46 > 0:01:49'Tonight, the sheep.'
0:01:54 > 0:01:56From curries and kebabs to Sunday roasts,
0:01:56 > 0:02:02almost 16 million British sheep are destined to die for our dinner every year.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05But our national flock provide us with much more than just meat.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09All the bits of the sheep that we don't eat, like the fat and the fleece,
0:02:09 > 0:02:15- can be turned into products that we buy. Comfy boots, cosmetics, even condoms.- Ohh, old school.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20- To find out how, I'm going to follow these leftovers all the way from the abattoir...- That's horrible.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24- ..to the shop floor.- Yeah, they're really cute.- Really soft.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26And I'm going to be joined by my fellow consumers.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30- Goggles on, girls.- To think that that was on our bed, I'm shocked.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34- To see how they feel about using animals in this way. - Why? I just don't get it.
0:02:34 > 0:02:40I'm starting my exploration of sheep products with an item I'm very fond of myself.
0:02:40 > 0:02:46Sheepskin boots, or as I like to call them, jacket potatoes, warm and cosy.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51'Sheepskin was once synonymous with football commentators and cockney wide boys.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56'But it's become a major fashion staple, thanks to the unstoppable march of the sheepskin boot.
0:02:56 > 0:03:02'Loved by celebs and civilians alike, each year around a million pairs are sold in the UK.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06'I'm keen to know more about how these woolly wonders get from field to foot
0:03:06 > 0:03:09'and joining me are three self-confessed boot obsessives.'
0:03:12 > 0:03:14- Whoo! Cheers!- Cheers, girls!
0:03:14 > 0:03:19'Meet best friends Sabrina, Jacqui and Amira.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23'These inseparable girls are fashion-obsessed and they love to shop.'
0:03:28 > 0:03:33As soon as we walk into a shop, we'll see something and we won't say anything, we'll all run towards it.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38- We'll see something and say, "That's Amira."- I pick things up and say, "That's quite Jacqui".
0:03:38 > 0:03:39- Feel it.- Is it soft?- Yeah.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44'Top of their must-have list - their sheepskin boots.'
0:03:48 > 0:03:50They're basically my lifesavers.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55Especially when we go out for a night out and we've got really high shoes on,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58we want to get into the bar. Slippers on the go!
0:03:58 > 0:04:00That's what I call them, slippers on the go.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05- 'And they wear them everywhere.' - I work in a shoe shop so I wear my boots to work.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- Around the house.- Uni.- In the car.
0:04:07 > 0:04:13- On the way to work.- Shopping.- On the way home from work.- I can't think of anywhere I wouldn't wear them.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15'For Jacqui, it's a real love affair.'
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I have got seven pairs of boots.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23These are my first pair when I was 16. They began the addiction.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27These are the cardie ones. These are the classics. They're a definite must-have.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Another pair of the classic ones but I had to have them in brown.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34These are more unusual. These are my favourite ones.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36'The girl's got it really bad.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41'They want to know where their boots come from but they're scared of what they might find.'
0:04:41 > 0:04:48If there was any sort of inhumane activity going on, that's the sort of thing that might put me off.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51I'd want the sheep to be killed in the most humane way possible
0:04:51 > 0:04:55and I think, if they weren't, that would definitely put me off buying the boots.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00'To see exactly where their fashionable footwear begins its journey,
0:05:00 > 0:05:05'the girls are joining me where the sheep end theirs, at an abattoir in Devon.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10'What they see here could mean they never pull on a pair of boots again.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Good morning, ladies. I'm Julia.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- Hi. Jacqui.- Hi, Jacqui.- I'm Sabrina. - Hello.- Hi. Amira.- Good morning.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22Now, I know it's a bit of a chilly day. I know you girls like your sheepskin boots, don't you?
0:05:22 > 0:05:28- ALL: Yes.- Have you ever thought about where they come from?- Erm, I kind of knew that, if they're sheepskin,
0:05:28 > 0:05:33they're going to come from sheep, but not much further down the line, I haven't thought about the process.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37That's what this little journey is all about. You know what that building is?
0:05:37 > 0:05:43This is an abattoir and it's the beginning of the journey of our sheepskin boots
0:05:43 > 0:05:49because they do come from sheep and the sheep need to get slaughtered and that's where it happens.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53So that is the first thing we're going to see today. How do you feel about that prospect?
0:05:53 > 0:05:59I feel a little bit nervous cos you're not exposed to that sort of environment every day.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02It's a bit daunting, trying to get your head around it, I suppose.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07- Are we actually going to be in the room?- We'll be in the room. You're going to see it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11- It's not a pleasant thing. - You're not helping.
0:06:11 > 0:06:17But your boots are boots that we like, this is where it all starts.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- OK, well, I'm ready.- Yeah?- Yeah. - Shall we do it?- Yeah.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- OK, follow me.- OK.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'The abattoir we're visiting is owned by John Coles.
0:06:28 > 0:06:34'It follows best-practice guidelines, which means animal welfare is a top priority.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37'Lewis Castramill is the vet overseeing the process.'
0:06:38 > 0:06:43- What's just happened there, John? - Lewis has just inspected them to make sure they're healthy to kill,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47which is the job that has to be done. Now they're ready for slaughter.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50- They're not just being killed for their skin, are they?- No.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- The actual fleece is a by-product. - At least it's not just killed for the skin.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58No, definitely not. This is a high-quality lamb
0:06:58 > 0:07:02- that is 100 percent edible. - What's next?
0:07:02 > 0:07:07- Next they'll go into the stun pen and the slaughter process will begin.- All right. Ready?
0:07:07 > 0:07:11- No.- Yeah.- Sort of.- Yeah.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17'Before going inside, we change into the regulation clothing.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20'John gives us a few final words of reassurance.'
0:07:20 > 0:07:25It's quite straightforward. Just don't panic. Just stand there, take it in
0:07:25 > 0:07:28and think that this is something that goes on
0:07:28 > 0:07:31and it's not a special show put on for you, it's goes on every day.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36'Then it's time to make our way into the slaughter hall where the sheep will end their lives
0:07:36 > 0:07:40'and our boots will begin theirs.'
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Basically, the animals will come into this pen here.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47- OK.- The electric stunners are there.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50That actually stuns the animal unconscious.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52A shackle goes onto the actual leg
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and it then travels up the elevator,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57through these doors to be bled.
0:07:57 > 0:08:03- And that's the first time we'll actually see the animal, isn't it? - Yes. Let's get the animals now.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15'First, the lambs are stunned with an electric shock that renders them insensitive to pain.'
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Right, I think one of them has been stunned now.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35'Next, the major blood vessels in their neck are severed and the sheep bleed out.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38'They're dead within a couple of minutes.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42'The four sheep are killed rapidly, one after the other.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47'Even though I've seen this before and I know it's the most humane way of killing the sheep,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51'I still find it hard to watch and it's all a bit too much for our girls.'
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Oh, no.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00- What do you think, Sabrina? - It's horrible!
0:09:00 > 0:09:02It's just like spewing out.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06- It's a shock. It's a shock. - It's all up the wall.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09No, look at it! It's all up the wall!
0:09:09 > 0:09:11And it's like twitching, as well.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17- Oh, my God, it keeps making a noise! - But you'll see them, they still move
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- and they still twitch and it's... - It's making a noise.
0:09:20 > 0:09:26- It's expulsion. It's expulsion of the final bits of air. Its lungs are closing down.- See?
0:09:30 > 0:09:34'With the killing complete, John joins us in the slaughter hall.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37'The girls have an issue about what they've seen so far.'
0:09:37 > 0:09:41- John, as ever, the twitching is a major concern.- Yep.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46- Explain that to us.- When the electric current is applied to the animal, it's technically stunned.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Then you've got a time limit that you've got to stick it
0:09:49 > 0:09:52for the bleeding process
0:09:52 > 0:09:57and, obviously, then you will get some nerve reaction until such time as it's finally bled
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and finally then dead.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03It's funny how, in the supermarket, you just see it in a packet
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- and you don't think about it like this.- Not in a million years.
0:10:06 > 0:10:12- Thinking about the boots now? - It doesn't look very much like it would make a boot at the moment.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17- 'Next, the sheep's heads are removed.' - Oh, my God. Did you hear that?
0:10:17 > 0:10:20'Then what's known as the dressing stage begins.'
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Dressing basically means you're removing the fleece.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28It's a skilled operation to make sure you get into the right layer of skin.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33Otherwise you pull the tissue away from the meat.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37- It's peeling quite easily. - It's a very difficult job to do.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40He's making it look simple.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45SABRINA GASPS Oh, my God, it just came out the other side!
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Obviously, the process has got to be
0:10:48 > 0:10:53that the fleece doesn't in-roll on the meat, which would contaminate the meat.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58'Before the skin can be completely removed, the sheep's feet must be taken off.'
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- SHE GASPS - 'Then the remaining skin
0:11:01 > 0:11:04'is literally punched out from the flesh by hand.'
0:11:04 > 0:11:08It's quite a long way from what we saw in the pen outside, isn't it?
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Certainly is.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16'It's pretty gory and I'm surprised to see Amira volunteering to have a go.'
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- Just wash your hands first.- OK.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25- What you need to do is hold the fleece there.- Yeah.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30And put that hand, with your knuckles clenched, in through there.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Oh, that feels gross!
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Does it? What does it feel like?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39I don't know! Gross!
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- Can you feel it pulling away?- Yeah!
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Oh, it feels gross!
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- Oh, did you hear that?- Yeah.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53- Oh, OK. Yeah, this is... - That skin could make a pair of boots for you.
0:11:53 > 0:11:59- I don't really want to go any further in than that. - OK. Well done.- Well done.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03'The final part of the hide is separated using a machine.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11Oh, look. See? Gross, really gross, but interesting.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13- Oh, my God.- There we go.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17- I wasn't expecting that! - So there is the sheepskin.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- There is it.- There it is. - Here are our boots.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- Are you going to take that one outside?- OK, Jacqui, there we go.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28It's really heavy.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32'Jacqui has the glamorous job of gathering up the skins.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34'Meanwhile, the sheep's carcass is gutted.
0:12:34 > 0:12:40'Its organs are checked for signs of disease before the meat is passed fit for human consumption.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50'With the job done, I find out how the girls are feeling.'
0:12:50 > 0:12:53What were your expectations before we came in here?
0:12:53 > 0:12:56I don't know. I just didn't expect to see all that blood.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- More gory than you thought. - Yeah, it was. But the skinning was a bit more straightforward
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- and less blood and guts. - Sabrina, you were quite brave throughout everything.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09- You seemed fascinated by every bit of the process, even the killing. - I did want to see that.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13We've come all this way, I didn't want to miss anything.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16And it was quite gruesome but I did want to keep my eyes on it.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24'To witness the next stage in the journey from sheep to shoe, we travel to Bridgewater in Somerset,
0:13:24 > 0:13:29'home of Fenland Sheepskin. Showing us around is managing director Chris Tinnion.'
0:13:31 > 0:13:35- So Chris, what goes on here? - Here is where we start the process
0:13:35 > 0:13:37of turning the raw skins into a finished product,
0:13:37 > 0:13:42whether it be rugs or skins for coats or footwear,
0:13:42 > 0:13:47- Ugg Boots and things like that. - How many skins do you use a year? - Between 1,000 and 1,500 a week.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52- A total of about 60,000 a year. - 60,000 a year?- Yeah.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55So that's 60,000 sheep a year.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- That's a lot.- Isn't it?
0:13:59 > 0:14:03The largest one is in China, doing 30,000 skins per day.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- 30,000 a day? - Yeah. And there's two of them.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10So between the two of them, they do the same in one day as we do in a year.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15That's incredible. And if you didn't do this, if you weren't making your sheepskin products,
0:14:15 > 0:14:21- what would happen to the skins? - Well, they'd either be exported to places like Turkey or China
0:14:21 > 0:14:25or they would have to be disposed of in landfill.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31'I'm relieved to know that none of the skins here will go to waste.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35'We follow Chris to where the transformation begins - the salting room.'
0:14:35 > 0:14:40- Hiya.- Hello. - This is George. George is going to show you how to salt skins.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45'As soon as they arrive at the tannery, each skin is covered in salt to stop it from rotting.'
0:14:45 > 0:14:48That one's fine. Do you want to have a go?
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Go on, Amira.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54'Amira helps out, but before she can start, a special little snip is needed.'
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- I'll take that off. - Yeah, you do that. - THEY LAUGH
0:14:57 > 0:15:00You don't really want anything to do with that.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03- What's that bit that just came off? - A testicle.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06THEY LAUGH
0:15:06 > 0:15:10- It's really gross. It's kind of like a...- The more you rub it in, the better the skin.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14It's quite... It's like a water bed.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16SHE SCREAMS
0:15:16 > 0:15:21- Does it feel anything like your boots at the moment? Can you make the connection?- No.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24It had a testicle on it!
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- My boot had a testicle! - THEY LAUGH
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Yeah. It'd be an interesting little addition, wouldn't it?
0:15:31 > 0:15:33You might pay extra for that.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38- So we're going in there?- Yes.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42'Once the hides are ready to be processed, they're cleaned and rehydrated
0:15:42 > 0:15:46'in a tank of soapy water. This time, I get hands-on, too.' Let's go.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Come on.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Nice.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Yeah! You're doing very well.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05'The hides have any excess fat removed in a de-fleshing machine.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11'Next, tanning chemicals are added to preserve them permanently.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14'The skins are then buffed on a wheel to make them softer.'
0:16:14 > 0:16:18- It's like a big emery board, a big nail file.- Exactly.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20And that's what it's like beforehand.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24- That's afterwards, and it's got a smoother finish.- Oh!
0:16:24 > 0:16:27That feels nice.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Yeah.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34'The smoothed hides are then dyed in large drums for close to 36 hours.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38'Then they're stretched out to be dried in heated cabinets.'
0:16:38 > 0:16:40- So, drying done.- Upstairs.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46'The finished skins are now ready to be boxed up.'
0:16:46 > 0:16:50- And these skins are actually going to make boots?- Yes, that's right.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52They go down to Cornwall for boots.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55And how much does it cost you to buy in your sheepskin?
0:16:55 > 0:16:58The raw skins cost about £6.50 at the moment.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02- And how much do you sell them for? - About £22.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07- So after your whole process, the dying and everything, you sell that for £22.- Yes.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12- How much do you buy your boots for, girls? - Anywhere between £100 and £200.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Yeah, some of them go up to about £220.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19And that, as you've just heard, is £22.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26'I'm curious to know how a £22 sheepskin
0:17:26 > 0:17:28'becomes a pair of boots worth hundreds,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31'so to find out, we follow the trail to Newquay.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36'It's home to Celtic Sheepskin, who make a range of products, including boots.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39'Here to meet us is managing director Nick Whitworth.'
0:17:40 > 0:17:45Welcome to Celtic Sheepskin. We'll now show you how your boots will be made.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48'We start our tour at the cutting machines.'
0:17:48 > 0:17:51So a pair of boots is made from eight pieces of sheepskin.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Every style has a pattern and we cut them out of
0:17:55 > 0:17:58whatever colour it is that you want your boots made from.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02How many pairs of boots would you get out of one sheepskin?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05We go for a least one pair, depending on the size of the skin.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09If it's a small pair of shorty boots that are only ankle-high, we might get two.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Those two bits go together like that at the back.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19- Yep.- That's the little shin piece to go in front of your shin. The toes.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23And they're all joined together like that to form a boot.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28'After cutting, the pieces are sewn together by hand.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32'Then the soles are stuck on. And finally, the boots are ready for the shops.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41'Having seen the entire journey from fluffy sheep to comfy boot,
0:18:41 > 0:18:46'I'm keen to know if the girls feel differently about their favourite footwear.'
0:18:46 > 0:18:49When you're looking at these now,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52are you looking at them any differently?
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I think I've got a better understanding now. Yeah.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57So do you like them more or less?
0:18:57 > 0:19:00I think, if anything, I like them more now.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05I appreciate where they came from and I just appreciate the process they've been through a lot more now.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10- So I think we all love them more. - You've seen that sheep walking around
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- and you saw it in the abattoir, remember that. - Don't say it like that!
0:19:14 > 0:19:20- You've seen the skin come off. - I think that image is pretty much burned into our memories.
0:19:20 > 0:19:28- You could see it as we're just using the material that might not have been used.- Yeah, the by-product.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30I was just thinking, "This is a slaughter"
0:19:30 > 0:19:36- whereas now I'm thinking, "This is shopping!"- Yeah, exactly! - Do you know what I mean?
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Ultimately, a good experience or a bad experience?
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- I think it's a good experience. - Good.- Really good.
0:19:42 > 0:19:48I think a lot of people should be more conscious about where their products come from.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52I think a lot of people are becoming a lot more aware. It's been a good journey.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56- Well done, girls. I think you've done very well.- Thank you. - You've done really well.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01'I find it incredible to think that in less than a week,
0:20:01 > 0:20:06'the skins of a living sheep can become a pair of comfy boots.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11'But though the process may be unfamiliar, the fact that sheepskin boots are made from sheep
0:20:11 > 0:20:16'is hardly a surprise. However, there's another by-product resulting from our love of lamb
0:20:16 > 0:20:22'that's just as widespread as the boots, but it's much less well known and much more astounding.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26'I'm heading off to the Lake District to find out more.'
0:20:30 > 0:20:34If I hear the word tallow, I think of something quite old-fashioned.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38I know it's a fat and I think we used to make candles out of it in the good old days.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43I learnt more recently that it's still used in everyday products and they make it here.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45I've come to find out how.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50'I'm visiting Alba Proteins who process the parts of cows and sheep left over from the food industry.
0:20:50 > 0:20:56'Though it's a vital job, it's a pretty grizzly one, and has historically been kept under wraps.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'I have a rare opportunity to see it first-hand.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02'Site manager Simon Boyes will be my guide.'
0:21:02 > 0:21:07- Hi, Simon.- Pleased to meet you. - You, too. Now, tallow. I know it's a fat, but what sort of fat?
0:21:07 > 0:21:10It's fat from the bits of animals that we don't actually eat.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- Right. And how do you extract it? - We use what we call in the industry a rendering,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18which we heat the material up and extract the oil.
0:21:19 > 0:21:26'Over half a million tonnes of sheep, cows and pig parts are rendered in the UK every year.'
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Here we've got a load of sheep coming in to process.
0:21:29 > 0:21:35- Right. How much? It's a big truck. - Erm, about 20 to 25 tonnes we normally receive in one load.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44'The raw animal parts are unloaded into a huge bin.'
0:21:48 > 0:21:52- 25 tonnes of sheep bits and bobs. - Yep.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55It's pretty gruesome, you've got to say.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59The blood on the floor, the fleshy bits.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04It is. But what you've got to appreciate is this is materials which are fit for humans
0:22:04 > 0:22:07- but they choose not to eat.- Yeah.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12'These sheep parts have just started to decay and they're giving off a real stink.'
0:22:12 > 0:22:14SHE COUGHS
0:22:14 > 0:22:19I haven't actually smelt anything quite as pungent, even in an abattoir.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23It really sticks to the back of your throat.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27'And if a lorry-load of sheep parts don't smell pretty,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29'I'm sure they don't look too pretty, either.'
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- Ohh. That's a lot of sheep heads. - It is.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35We've got sheep heads, hooves, innards,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38sheep fat and also the carcass, as well.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41I've never, ever smelt anything like that.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Ever. No. Oh! No.
0:22:44 > 0:22:50- Where does it go from here? - We have a crusher where we break it down to even particle size.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53We'll go round, I'll show you the crusher
0:22:53 > 0:22:57- and then we can take it from there. - Anything's better than here. - No problem.
0:23:02 > 0:23:09'From the bin, the sheep parts pass into the crusher, which pounds them into small, even pieces.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14'The crusher is monitored remotely from the rendering plant's control room.'
0:23:14 > 0:23:20You see the picture there is the crusher. That's crushing the material down to particle size
0:23:20 > 0:23:22and we pump it direct into the cooker.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- So, basically, that's turning it into pate.- That's right.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30'This pate goes into a giant oven where it's heated to 120 degrees.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34'The heat kills off any bacteria, evaporates the water
0:23:34 > 0:23:37'and causes the fat to melt away from the protein.'
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Here we have the material which is being cooked at the moment.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48- It's like a kebab machine! - Yeah. You can naturally see the oil being released from the material.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55'Once the sheep parts have been rendered, the hot melted fat
0:23:55 > 0:23:58'is squeezed out by a press and drained off.'
0:23:58 > 0:24:04- That's it, that's tallow?- That's our finished product that we sell to the customer.- It's like gravy.- Yeah.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10- So there's a lot of that in there. - There certainly is, yes.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12- And that's going off to your customers.- It does.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17So the million-dollar question is, Simon, who are your customers? What is this used in?
0:24:17 > 0:24:22In conditioners, cosmetics. It forms the first ingredient of a cleaning agent.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25That is a bit of a surprise, I must say. Have you ever tasted any?
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- I haven't, no.- I don't blame you.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34'Since that gut-wrenching experience,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38'I've been surprised to discover how much tallow is used in our cleaning products.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:42I wonder how many people know about this product
0:24:42 > 0:24:47and how they'll feel about it when they know how it's made. All right, boys?
0:24:47 > 0:24:52'To find out, I'm joined by Jenny and Laura, who know very little about what goes into their wash.'
0:24:52 > 0:24:57- So you're students?- Yeah. - And what do you look for in your washing products?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59- Price.- What's on offer.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- Right. Do you ever look at the ingredients?- No.- Never.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Look at the ingredients on that, see if any stick out to you.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10- Read that one.- I don't even know what those words are.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15- What's the worst thing it could be? - I think if it was dead animal, that would be the worst thing ever.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18'Uh-oh. Time for the big reveal.'
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Don't be frightened. It'll all be OK.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26- Are you ready? - THEY LAUGH
0:25:26 > 0:25:31OK, this is what is in a lot of fabric conditioners and soaps.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35THEY SCREAM Ughhhh!
0:25:35 > 0:25:40- Oh, my God.- I can't even look at it! That is disgusting. Urgh.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- Look at his teeth!- I can't look! - Look at his teeth!
0:25:44 > 0:25:48- She won't look!- What is that? - That is sheep's head.- Urgh!
0:25:48 > 0:25:52It's not just sheep. There are lots of animals that go into this kind of product.
0:25:52 > 0:25:58Basically, what they do is, all the bits of meat that we don't eat
0:25:58 > 0:26:03go to a big rendering plant and they are boiled down into an oil
0:26:03 > 0:26:08which becomes tallow and it comes from this kind of product.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12- So it's in everything? - It's in an awful lot. It's in lots of fabric conditioners,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- it's in lots of soaps. - I don't feel clean!
0:26:15 > 0:26:19I don't. I feel like... I keep looking at its little face.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25- Are you curious to know how something like that becomes this product?- BOTH: Yeah.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29- Well, we've got an expert and he's going to answer any questions that you've got.- Cool.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35'While we put on a load of washing, we're joined by David Howells,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39'a chemist with 30 years experience in the tallow industry.'
0:26:39 > 0:26:43- Hi, Julia.- This is Jenny and Laura. - Hi.- Hi, girls, how are you?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46They're quite shocked by what we've revealed so far.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50- What's your big question? - Why? I just don't get it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55- Why is that used? - How is that head used to make this?
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- That's a liquid and that's a head. - Because it's there.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02You've had your sheep or your cow, you've eaten it.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06As a by-product from that, you're left with this fat, you find things to do with it.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Right, how do we make tallow into soap?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12It's very easy. Come on, girls, let me show you.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14I've got a little demonstration here.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19There's tallow. It's solid. I've melted some so I can show you more easily.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24If we put some of the tallow in here, this is some simple caustic soda solution,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27and instantly it's reacted and started forming soap.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Now instead of it being two separate clear liquids not mixed,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34they've mixed together and it's now like a custard.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37In industry, if you then want to get soap from that,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40you add salt to it, the soap comes to the surface,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43run off the water and you make it into a bar of soap. That's it.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49'As well as being used to make soap, tallow can be found in washing powders.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51'It's also added to fabric conditioners
0:27:51 > 0:27:55'where it's listed on the label as a cationic surfactant
0:27:55 > 0:27:58'and helps the perfume and softening agents spread into the clothing.'
0:27:58 > 0:28:03- How is that allowed in that? - The alternatives are what?
0:28:03 > 0:28:06We could use products like palm oil.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- That's got moral issues, as well, hasn't it?- Sustainability.
0:28:09 > 0:28:15The animal fat is there, it's available, and can make products which are like that.
0:28:15 > 0:28:21- When we see tallow on a label, does it always come from an animal? - It's always animal fat.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26'Tallow and tallow-derived chemicals have a number of different names.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30'Just some of those to look out for on your labels include sodium tallowate,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33'tallow alcohol, tallow amine, and my personal favourite,
0:28:33 > 0:28:39'dihydrogenated tallowoylethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate.'
0:28:39 > 0:28:42And when it says surfactant, is that always from an animal?
0:28:42 > 0:28:47No, it can be from tallow, but it can also be totally synthetic,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49a detergent made from chemicals.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52- How do you know?- You don't.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56'It's clear that getting to the bottom of what's in our products can be tricky.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00'But once we know about a hidden ingredient like tallow,
0:29:00 > 0:29:02'we then have to decide how we feel about it.'
0:29:02 > 0:29:07- Has it changed the way you think about what you buy, your perception of the industry?- Definitely!
0:29:07 > 0:29:12- It's really deceiving. - I'm like, quick in and out, so I'll just grab what I need and go.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17I would never think to look at it. But now I would definitely take a minute to see what's in it.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- We know the words now. - We know what to look out for.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24Do you think the fact that animals have been used in these products should be labelled?
0:29:24 > 0:29:28I think it should, because they still put on animal testing
0:29:28 > 0:29:33and suitable for vegetarians, vegans, all sorts. I think they should at least indicate it.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37- Because if people still want to use it, they will.- We know now, but we'll still buy it.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41- If nobody knows, they're using it unaware. - Definitely.- That's a bit rubbish.
0:29:41 > 0:29:46- Do you want to take the sheep heads with you?- No. - Erm, I think we'll leave them there.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49- They don't fit in with our living room, do they?- No.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53'Though it's fair to be squeamish about tallow and where it comes from,
0:29:53 > 0:29:58'to me it makes perfect sense that we don't waste these lamby leftovers.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03'However, there's one way that another part of the sheep's anatomy is used that doesn't turn me on.'
0:30:05 > 0:30:09'Sheep guts are often used to make casings for sausages.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13'But throughout history, we've also wrapped these delicate intestinal tracts
0:30:13 > 0:30:15'around a very different kind of flesh.'
0:30:15 > 0:30:20Now, it's got to be said, the origin of the sheep-gut contraceptives is fairly woolly.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24'Legend has it they were first invented in the 17th century for Charles II.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29'It's claimed a certain Dr Condom tried to reduce the king's quota of illegitimate kids
0:30:29 > 0:30:33'by giving him oiled sheep intestines to use between the royal bed sheets.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37'Though there's no hard evidence for this story, by the 18th century,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40'these animal-gut condoms were everywhere.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45'Serial seducer Casanova mentions blowing them up to entertain ladies in his memoirs
0:30:45 > 0:30:48'while records show that London's flourishing trade was led by two women,
0:30:48 > 0:30:53'a Mrs Perkins and a Mrs Phillips. Today, most condoms are made from latex.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57'But if you're allergic to those or you fancy something different,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01- 'I'm amazed to find you can still buy sheep intestine condoms online.' - # Mr lover-lover
0:31:01 > 0:31:06'I'm keen to find out what a group of London lads will make of these.'
0:31:06 > 0:31:11I'll try my best not to embarrass you. Let's be grown up. Come here. All right.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- Do we know what these are? - Ah, I know these.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16- Yeah, do you know what them is? - THEY LAUGH
0:31:16 > 0:31:19- Yep.- Wow.- Use these regularly?
0:31:19 > 0:31:22- Yeah.- Good.- Should do. - I'm pleased to hear it.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- What do you think that's made out of?- Latex.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27- What is that, plastic or...? - I'm not sure.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30I'm going to show you.
0:31:30 > 0:31:36- Sheep's intestine!- Ohh, old school! Isn't that what they used to make them out of in the old days?- Yeah.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40- What is that?- Is that intestines? - It is indeed.- Lovely. - Spot on.- Beautiful.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42- How do you feel about that now? - A bit weird.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45- It's sheep's intestines.- Oh, right.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48SHE LAUGHS Nice! Looks like spaghetti.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52- You haven't got a knife and fork, have you?- Ohh, you're disgusting!
0:31:53 > 0:32:00- Would you be happy trying those out? - Yeah.- As long as they work and they ain't going to get nobody pregnant!
0:32:00 > 0:32:04- Hm.- No? You wouldn't feel happy wearing one of those?- No.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06- I don't see why I shouldn't use it. - You'd have a go?
0:32:06 > 0:32:11- Maybe.- I'd rather not.- I wouldn't tell her about it.- Exactly.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16- My girlfriend, her religious views don't...- They don't go with that?
0:32:16 > 0:32:19- They don't go with sheep-intestine condoms?- No.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23- I tell you what, gents, take one. - Oh, thank you ever so much.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25- Let me know how you get on. - What time do you finish?
0:32:25 > 0:32:30- THEY LAUGH - Thank you for your time. - See you, guys. Bye.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35'Though these old-fashioned condoms may help to prevent pregnancy,
0:32:35 > 0:32:41'they don't protect from STDs, so for the safest sex, it's safer to stick with the more modern variety.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45'From a product I'd expect to find in the more niche section of the chemist shop
0:32:45 > 0:32:48'to one that's commonplace on the nation's beauty counters.'
0:32:48 > 0:32:53Lanolin is a sheep-related ingredient that's found in hundreds of cosmetics,
0:32:53 > 0:32:57from makeup and moisturisers to body creams and baby lotions.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00But does anyone know what it is?
0:33:00 > 0:33:02- Lanolin.- Lanolin.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07- I've never heard of lanolin. - I don't know what lanolin is. - Lanolin? What is lanolin?
0:33:07 > 0:33:09- What is lanolin?- Is it bad?
0:33:09 > 0:33:14I've got some idea of where lanolin comes from but I'm going to meet two women from Oldham
0:33:14 > 0:33:19who've got more reason than most to care about what goes into their cosmetics.
0:33:19 > 0:33:25'Meet young mum Nadia, her two-year-old daughter Sharina, and her cousin, nursing student Farmina.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29'These ladies love their beauty products.'
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Skincare is very important to me.
0:33:32 > 0:33:38I do have a strict routine that's wash, tone, moisturise, exfoliate.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43Constantly giving creams a trial run, see if it works. If it looks good then it should be all right.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46'But they need to be careful about what they use.'
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Because we're Muslims,
0:33:48 > 0:33:51we can't use alcohol
0:33:51 > 0:33:55or any form of pig or gelatine or anything like that.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58'In fact, many by-products derived from UK farm animals
0:33:58 > 0:34:01'might not be considered Halal.'
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Shall we give your hair a little bit of a wash?
0:34:04 > 0:34:08'And for Nadia, it's not just a case of looking after her own skin.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11'She also has to deal with Sharina's eczema.'
0:34:11 > 0:34:13Sharina was born a premature child
0:34:13 > 0:34:16so she was a month and a half early.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20From the minute she was born, she started having a few rashes on her cheeks.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25'So looking at what goes into their products is pretty important.'
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Thanks a lot. Bye.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31'But it's one thing looking and another thing understanding.'
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Most of the things here, I have no idea what they are.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38My head is spinning just reading these ingredients.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Lanolin. That's one that's very common.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44'Lanolin is one ingredient I can help them to find out more about.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48'How will they feel when they learn exactly where it comes from?
0:34:50 > 0:34:54'To find out, the girls are joining me at a company called Thomas Chadwick's
0:34:54 > 0:34:56'who wash wool for the UK carpet industry.
0:34:56 > 0:35:01'At this stage, they've got no idea where lanolin comes from.'
0:35:01 > 0:35:06- Do you know what this is?- Wool.- Any idea what might come out of this?
0:35:06 > 0:35:11- No idea.- I don't have a clue but it does smell a lot.- It's a bit smelly. - It's not very pleasant.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14I'm going to say one word to you - lanolin. What does that mean?
0:35:14 > 0:35:19- Erm...- Nothing.- It doesn't mean anything at all but I see it a lot.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23- A lot of moisturisers. Everything I use.- You don't know what it is? - Not at all.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27- Do you want to go and find out? - Yes, definitely.- Follow me.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35'So, lanolin is related to wool. But how we've yet to discover.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38'On hand to explain is managing director Mark Andrews.'
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- That's a lot of wool, Mark! - A lot of wool, indeed.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43So this is wool directly off the sheep's back.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45So this is sheared wool.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50- You'll probably recognise it better if we open up the fleece here. - Oh, no!
0:35:50 > 0:35:55- There we go! Now a little bit of recognition. - You've seen them shearing sheep.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59'Sheep aren't killed to get wool. The fleece is just shaved off.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03'It's Mark's job to get it clean enough to sell. But it's mucky work.'
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Quite a lot of things in sheep wool.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- Yeah.- Sheep poo and all that.
0:36:09 > 0:36:14- Disgusting.- The other contaminants are sweat, the sheep sweats.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17The major contaminant is the wool grease that's on there.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20'And it's this wool grease that's a crude form of lanolin.'
0:36:20 > 0:36:24And are you after lanolin or are you after the wool?
0:36:24 > 0:36:29The wool is the most important thing to us. Wool grease is a valuable by-product for us
0:36:29 > 0:36:32and we produce anything between 5 and 6 tonnes a week.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37- Feel that.- Feel it! - Go on, have a feel.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40- Oh, God. It's a bit... - They're heavy, aren't they?
0:36:40 > 0:36:44- They are heavy.- This is our bread and butter material.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48- Can you feel it? I can feel... - You can feel the grease.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51- It is sticky. - That's the wool grease.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55'Sheep secrete wool grease from glands in their skin,
0:36:55 > 0:37:00'coating and softening the wool fibres and protecting the fleece against the elements.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03'Much like a moisturiser helps to protect our faces.'
0:37:03 > 0:37:07# Is the word that you heard, it's got groove, it's got meaning
0:37:07 > 0:37:10I expect to wear a wool and not smother it on my body!
0:37:10 > 0:37:17We don't know how that happens yet, but it somehow gets from there onto our bodies.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20'To learn more, we head into the heart of the factory.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24'Before the wool is washed, the bails are broken down into smaller pieces.'
0:37:26 > 0:37:29- This is scary. - Can you see the wool going in now?
0:37:29 > 0:37:33It's being fed evenly into the wool scour now.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38'To wash or scour the wool, it's mixed with water and detergent
0:37:38 > 0:37:42'and passed through three tanks, each one cooler than the last.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46'It's then rinsed on what looks like a medieval torture chamber.'
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Look at that machinery!
0:37:48 > 0:37:52So the majority of the wool grease is washed out in the first bowl.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54The first bowl is the hottest bowl
0:37:54 > 0:37:59and about 80 percent of the wool grease will be washed out there.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02And that's where we'll extract that water from,
0:38:02 > 0:38:04because it's concentrated wool grease there.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07'While the clean wool goes off to be dried,
0:38:07 > 0:38:13'the grease-rich liquid from the first tank is pumped into a series of centrifuges.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18'These spin it at high speeds to separate the grease from the water and any dirt.'
0:38:18 > 0:38:22We're producing what we know as wool grease.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24You can see how clear it is now.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26- It's drying already, yeah?- Yeah.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Oh, that's really sticky! That's like ear wax.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34Yeah. As we said earlier, it officially is a wax.
0:38:34 > 0:38:39- This isn't lanolin yet. - No, this is the raw product that we then sell to refiners.
0:38:41 > 0:38:46'It takes 500 tonnes of fleece to produce 5 tonnes of wool grease,
0:38:46 > 0:38:48'which is sold on to be refined into lanolin.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51'So when you see lanolin on a label,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55'it means that a version of this oily brown grease with all the dirt and impurities removed
0:38:55 > 0:39:00'is in the product. But just what is it doing there and why is it used in such a wide range of stuff?
0:39:00 > 0:39:04'To find out, it's time for my very own Blue Peter moment
0:39:04 > 0:39:07'as the girls and I make a moisturiser from scratch.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11'Helping us is Dr Laura Waters from the University of Huddersfield,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14'an expert in making the products we see on the chemist's shelves.'
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Goggles on, girls. Come on. Goggles on.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21- Let's see. Yeah, good to go. - OK, come on round.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23'Unlike the grease we saw in the factory,
0:39:23 > 0:39:27'the lanolin we're using has been through the refining process.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31'I'm keen to know what makes it such a desirable ingredient in our cosmetics.'
0:39:31 > 0:39:34What's so special about lanolin is the way it can take up the water,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37it can mix it in, we call that an emulsifier,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40and it mixes the water in so when you apply it to your skin,
0:39:40 > 0:39:42it not only forms a barrier as an oil
0:39:42 > 0:39:46but it also has water inside that acts to rehydrate your skin
0:39:46 > 0:39:51- so it's also a moisturiser. - So it's unique in that way? - There are several other emulsifiers
0:39:51 > 0:39:55but with lanolin, it's a natural product, people trust it, it's gentle, it's safe
0:39:55 > 0:39:59- and it feels nice on the skin.- Yes.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03- Even in its most raw form.- That's really nice to know, actually.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07- So are we all ready to start mixing? - ALL: Yes.- Fantastic.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11'First we heat the lanolin in a beaker and add some petroleum jelly.'
0:40:11 > 0:40:14It's like being back in home economics!
0:40:14 > 0:40:19'Next we add emulsifying wax, which helps blend the oil and water in the cream together.'
0:40:19 > 0:40:22OK, and then finally we need to add our liquid paraffin.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27'Liquid paraffin is a mineral oil that helps soften the skin.'
0:40:27 > 0:40:30This is just the basis of most creams?
0:40:30 > 0:40:35- It is.- And then they add whatever they need to add, like perfumes, colourings or whatever?
0:40:35 > 0:40:40Sure. This is the base of most moisturisers and barrier creams, as well.
0:40:40 > 0:40:45'Once the lanolin mixture has melted, it's time for the most critical part - stirring.'
0:40:46 > 0:40:48- Stir.- Yep.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52- Pour your water in. - Ooh, it's already got thicker.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55I can feel it. The texture just changes instantly, doesn't it?
0:40:55 > 0:40:59'Now the moment of truth. Have our homemade moisturisers made the grade?'
0:40:59 > 0:41:04OK, that looks fantastic! That looks really good! It's very nicely mixed.
0:41:04 > 0:41:09So if you were to apply that to your skin, you'd find it would hydrate your skin very, very nicely.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14Nadia, what's going on with yours? That just looks like... Well, I won't say.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18- It's not pretty, is it? - Oh, my God.- Why did that go wrong?
0:41:18 > 0:41:21It could be because it got too hot while it was on the hot plate.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25- What do you think of yours? - I really like mine, the texture.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27And it's nice and silky.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32Go on, I know you're jealous. Have a feel of that.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34Aww. Oh.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38'So has witnessing the journey from dirty fleece to moisturising cream
0:41:38 > 0:41:41'had any effect on our girls?'
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Are you concerned about using lanolin on Sharina now, your little girl?
0:41:44 > 0:41:48At the beginning, I was thinking, "OK, it might be from an animal"
0:41:48 > 0:41:53but it is from an animal but it's not from the inside of an animal, it's from the wool extracts,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56- which is good to know. - It's like a secretion.
0:41:56 > 0:42:01- Because it's not meat, not an animal part, that's all right for you. - Yeah, that's fine.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07'Because lanolin doesn't come from dead sheep, it's acceptable to use to most Muslims.'
0:42:07 > 0:42:12- And you're going to carry on using all your beauty creams.- Yeah. It's been a really good experience,
0:42:12 > 0:42:16from where it starts to this and I made my own cream, so I'm really happy.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20- I'd quite like to take that home in a little jar.- Yeah.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27'So far, I've seen how the sheep's skin, its fat, its guts and even its natural grease
0:42:27 > 0:42:30'can be turned into popular everyday products.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34'I can't imagine that there's any more the sheep has to offer.'
0:42:34 > 0:42:37But it turns out there's a more radical way of using a sheep by-product.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40To try and improve our looks.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47'To find out more, I've come here to London's Harley Street.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49'It's the home of cosmetic surgery,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53'and one of the clinics here offers a treatment made from a part of a sheep.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55'But I've absolutely no idea which bit.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57'I'm meeting Dr Roberto Viel,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00'a cosmetic surgeon who's spent the last 20 years
0:43:00 > 0:43:03'helping patients in search of the body beautiful
0:43:03 > 0:43:07'alongside his twin brother Maurizio. Hm, wonder who this lucky lady is.'
0:43:09 > 0:43:14- Hi, Alice.- Hi.- Lying in the supine position here. Roberto, hello.
0:43:14 > 0:43:20- What are you doing here? - At the moment, I'm applying the last batch of anaesthetic cream.
0:43:20 > 0:43:25'Today he's going to be carrying out a procedure on 26-year-old Londoner Alice.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29'She's an aspiring makeup artist with an interest in beauty products
0:43:29 > 0:43:33- 'and it's the first time she's had this unusual facial.' - We need to numb the skin
0:43:33 > 0:43:38because what we're going to do involves the use of a micro-needle dermo roller
0:43:38 > 0:43:44and an application of a solution called an ActiStem dermal.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48- What is it? I know it's a part of a sheep.- That is a solution
0:43:48 > 0:43:53of a concentration of a protein from lamb placenta.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57- It's the placenta? - Placenta from the sheep.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01There we are. There we are. There.
0:44:01 > 0:44:06So let's just get this clear. The placenta is in the sheep's womb
0:44:06 > 0:44:10and is attached to the lamb in the womb
0:44:10 > 0:44:13and is feeding that lamb.
0:44:14 > 0:44:19- But it's the bit that's full of all the goodness, isn't it? It's the... - Yeah.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21I can't lie.
0:44:21 > 0:44:27When you put it like that, it does seem quite...yucky. But I'm quite fascinated with it.
0:44:31 > 0:44:36'In recent years, our taste for radical beauty procedures has continued to grow.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38'New treatments appear regularly
0:44:38 > 0:44:41'and the one I'm about to see is not mainstream yet.'
0:44:41 > 0:44:43Is that the micro roller?
0:44:43 > 0:44:49Yes. It's made of titanium. Looks like a torture instrument but it's not at all true, don't worry.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53- 'Looks a bit painful to me.' - OK, let's start.
0:44:55 > 0:45:01- How does it feel, Alice?- It's not... It's not nice, but it's not painful. - It's dealable.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05Yeah, it's not agony by any stretch.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08You see, the skin becomes a little bit red and pinkish.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11- Mm-hm.- And that's what we want.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18'Alice's pores are opened up to allow the liquid placenta treatment to penetrate more deeply
0:45:18 > 0:45:21'into the middle, or mesodermal, layer of the skin.'
0:45:21 > 0:45:24So now you're just painting it onto those open pores.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28- I'm like an artist. I'm doing some nice painting.- Yeah!
0:45:28 > 0:45:32'There's currently limited scientific evidence for this treatment
0:45:32 > 0:45:35'but Dr Viel is convinced of its benefits.'
0:45:35 > 0:45:43The protein of the placenta will activate the dormant stem cells of the skin.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47In doing that, there will be a faster skin regeneration.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51So you will have new skin cells on your face much quicker than normal
0:45:51 > 0:45:57and that will give a better glow and improvement to the skin.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03'The placentas used to make this treatment come from a specially isolated flock in Australia.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06'The fresh placenta is dried and made into a powder
0:46:06 > 0:46:10'from which a sterilised protein is extracted for use in the facial serum.'
0:46:10 > 0:46:14- How does it feel on a fresh corner of your face? - It's actually better on this bit.
0:46:14 > 0:46:19'According to Dr Viel, sheep placenta is favoured over other animals
0:46:19 > 0:46:24- 'because it's richer in all the necessary proteins.' - Now you have to look up, OK?
0:46:27 > 0:46:30- Perfect.- What are the benefits for somebody of Alice's age?
0:46:30 > 0:46:34It helps to give a boost to the cells
0:46:34 > 0:46:39to have a better skin complexion, to revitalise the skin
0:46:39 > 0:46:46and, of course, I always believe that prevention is very important in anti-aging medicine.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50- So prevention is better than cure. - I always believe that, yeah.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54'The treatment ends with a final application of moisturising serum
0:46:54 > 0:46:58'and then Alice gets a chance to check out her new facial glow.'
0:46:59 > 0:47:01- Ooh! Oh, dear. - SHE LAUGHS
0:47:01 > 0:47:05- A little bit lobster! - A little bit lobster-esque.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08- But it's not too bad. - You see, that's the first area.
0:47:08 > 0:47:14It's going away, the redness. A couple of hours and she will be back to normal.
0:47:14 > 0:47:18- You will be happy.- I am sure I will. - You are beautiful.
0:47:18 > 0:47:23'Three weeks later and the results of Alice's unusual treatment can be seen.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26'Has it worked? I'll let you judge for yourself.'
0:47:28 > 0:47:32Having explored pretty much every inch of the sheep's anatomy,
0:47:32 > 0:47:36it may seem strange that I've pretty much ignored the part that we use the most,
0:47:36 > 0:47:42the part that's most familiar in our homes and on the high street. This stuff. Wool.
0:47:44 > 0:47:49'The reason I've left wool until last is because it seems hard to find something new
0:47:49 > 0:47:53'or unexpected to say about such a familiar sheep by-product.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57'Wool is sheared from living sheep before being processed into fibre, spun and dyed.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01'I can be knitted or woven into everything from jumpers and carpets
0:48:01 > 0:48:04'to snooker-table cloth and even coffins.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08'It's a fabric that's been with us so long, it's difficult to get excited about it.'
0:48:08 > 0:48:12- Frumpy.- Is that what you think? - Yeah.- Wool, frump, dull.- Yep.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14- Cosy, I suppose. That's about it. - Cosy?- Yeah.
0:48:14 > 0:48:20- Wool?- I hate wool. The feel of it, it's awful.- I'd say a bit boring.
0:48:21 > 0:48:27'But despite what we might think, it turns out that even something as everyday as wool has its surprises.
0:48:27 > 0:48:33'Especially when it comes to the part it can play in the furniture and fittings we buy for our homes.
0:48:33 > 0:48:38'To find out more, I've come to the Chiltern International Fire Testing Facility in Buckinghamshire.
0:48:38 > 0:48:43'Here an expert team test fire-resistance in a wide range of products.
0:48:43 > 0:48:48'For this visit, I'm joined by friends Ayiesha and Dan, who've recently moved in together.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51'They both consider themselves fans of modern interiors,
0:48:51 > 0:48:55'so I wonder where wool rates in their list of fashionable home fittings.'
0:48:55 > 0:48:59- The two of you have just moved into a flat together.- We have.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03- It's an exciting time, you're furnishing it. So shopping? - Yes, lots of that.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06And are we getting on? Stylistically, do we agree?
0:49:06 > 0:49:13- We're very different.- Yes. - I like minimalistic, she likes clutter and too much colour for me.
0:49:13 > 0:49:19- When you're shopping for your furniture, do you ever consider wool as a material?- Not furniture, no.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21- No?- No.- No.- Not wool curtains?
0:49:21 > 0:49:26- No.- Wool sofa?- If it looks nice, it looks nice. I don't think, "What's it made of?" at all.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30'One man who'd like Ayiesha and Dan to take a second look
0:49:30 > 0:49:36'at the fabrics they choose for their home is Sir Ken Knight, one of Britain's leading firemen.'
0:49:36 > 0:49:40- Explain what you do. - I started as a firefighter, became chief fire officer of London.
0:49:40 > 0:49:46- Now I'm the government's chief fire and rescue advisor.- 'To demonstrate what's so special about wool,
0:49:46 > 0:49:49'Dan and Ayiesha will witness a revealing experiment.
0:49:49 > 0:49:54'We're going to test how wool compares to a synthetic fabric, polyester,
0:49:54 > 0:49:58'by staging a bedroom fire inside what's known as a firebox.'
0:49:58 > 0:50:04- What have we got in front of us here?- I've set up the typical materials of a bedrooms.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08So we've got a woollen blanket, a woollen mattress,
0:50:08 > 0:50:12- a woollen pillow and a woollen carpet.- How does that compare to your bedroom?
0:50:12 > 0:50:15- Woollen blanket?- Definitely. The bed frame, definitely.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18- But not wool. All synthetics.- Mm.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21We'll now set this on fire as though it was a bedroom fire
0:50:21 > 0:50:24and just seen what happens and see how the materials perform.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29I'm just going to pop a little photo of you guys in there.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32Let's see how that stands up, shall we?
0:50:32 > 0:50:36I'll just put that on the bedside table. Aww, lovely. There we go.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40We've got a flame. So this is on the wool blanket.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43Still hasn't really ignited.
0:50:43 > 0:50:50- You see the difficulty you're having setting light to it?- I actually can't set fire...to the blanket.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55'In fact, it takes almost two minutes before the fire is underway.'
0:50:55 > 0:50:59Now you can see that it's really caught alight. But in a localised area.
0:50:59 > 0:51:04- Very local. I think we ought to come out of the way now and just see how long it takes.- OK.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10Still very slow smouldering. Smoke enough to set a smoke detector off
0:51:10 > 0:51:13but not a fast-burning fire, not a huge amount of heat given off.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17It's not spreading at all. Normally when you see fires, they race across.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20'Naturally occurring substances in the sheep's wool,
0:51:20 > 0:51:26'like nitrogen and lanolin, give it an ability to self-extinguish, reducing the spread of fire.'
0:51:26 > 0:51:30We're now at seven minutes and I don't think we're going to see much more of this for some time.
0:51:30 > 0:51:35The fire is still not a room alight, still not even the whole bedding alight.
0:51:35 > 0:51:40- So I think we're probably ready to stop there.- Ready to put this out? - I think we are.- Let's do it.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45'It takes mere moments to douse the flames and we go to examine the damage.'
0:51:47 > 0:51:51Charring. Not much flame spread. Nothing on the bed frame.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55- No.- No dripping at all. So the wool carpet we put down
0:51:55 > 0:51:58didn't actually have any fire damage at all.
0:51:58 > 0:52:04- After eight minutes, I'd expect much more. I'd expect the whole thing to be up in flames.- I'm surprised.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07And very impressed. Do you think we can get the picture out?
0:52:07 > 0:52:10- Shall I?- Yep, go on. - Let's see if it's still there.
0:52:10 > 0:52:16- Oh, look!- Bit of water there. - Just a little bit of water damage from the firemen,
0:52:16 > 0:52:22- but apart from that, intact. - OK?- There you go. You survived fire number one.- Thank you!
0:52:29 > 0:52:32'Now it's time to repeat the test
0:52:32 > 0:52:36'but with the kind of synthetic polyester furnishing Dan and Ayiesha use in their flat.'
0:52:36 > 0:52:39You're going back in, you two.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43I shall place you again delicately on the bedside table.
0:52:43 > 0:52:48- Stopwatch at the ready. - Ready.- There we go. So...
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Right, I'm away.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54A lot lower ignition temperature than wool.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58- It has definitely caught fire. - That was about ten seconds to when it started to take fire.
0:52:58 > 0:53:03Flames dropping onto the carpet. And this is a polyester carpet, as well.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05- Can you smell it? - Phwoar! Yep, smell.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08- Smells a lot quicker. - And look at the smoke. It's black
0:53:08 > 0:53:12- And it does smell.- This is a toxic smoke coming out of here.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16- Look at the difference. Where are we at time-wise?- We're not up to a minute yet.- Not a minute?
0:53:16 > 0:53:20- Shall we move away from these fumes? - Yeah, we should.- It's toxic.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25'Just two minutes in and the fire is really gathering pace.'
0:53:25 > 0:53:29You're seeing a lot more actual flaming and there's a lot more smoke higher up.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32You can smell it, even at this end.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36Look at the bedding now, it's spreading across the bed very quickly.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39We're just into four and a half minutes.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42To think that that was on our bed, I mean, I'm shocked.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45It really is literally five minutes and it's completely in flames.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49That fire has now burnt all the way through the mattress.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53Look at the smoke coming out. So you really have now got a serious room fire.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56We're still only at six and a half minutes.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03We're almost coming up to eight minutes. This is where we stopped it before
0:54:03 > 0:54:05when we said, "There's not enough burning".
0:54:05 > 0:54:12Compare what we're seeing now, with very similar bedding materials, but made of a different material.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15- How long do we want to let this burn?- I think we've seen enough.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18- We've got to send firefighters in to put this out, remember.- OK.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21- I think we're ready to stop. - Let's put them in. OK.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50'With the flames finally extinguished,
0:54:50 > 0:54:53'we go to see what's left of the bedroom.'
0:54:53 > 0:54:55- Completely destroyed it.- Yep.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59- I know which one I'd rather be sleeping in. - That is frightening, isn't it?
0:54:59 > 0:55:03I mean, look. Everything that was left after eight minutes on this bed.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06- The little sheep have survived. - Yeah.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08- And there's nothing.- Mm.
0:55:10 > 0:55:15What do you think about this whole experiment, now that you've seen this?
0:55:15 > 0:55:18It's more than just colour and texture now, isn't it?
0:55:18 > 0:55:23Yeah. It's been a real eye-opener. It'll definitely give us something more to think about when we shop.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27- So more arguments. But I think this is one thing we'll both be agreed on. - Yeah.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30- No more arguments when it comes to safety.- Yeah.
0:55:30 > 0:55:35Ken, does this mean we've got to get rid of everything polyester in our bedrooms and our houses?
0:55:35 > 0:55:40No, I doesn't. But it means people need to think about safety in terms of their choice of products.
0:55:40 > 0:55:45We've seen here that Dan and Ayiesha can make those choices about colour and type
0:55:45 > 0:55:48and there are choices in safety we'd like people to think about, as well.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52'While all mattresses and pillows, regardless of what they're made of,
0:55:52 > 0:55:56'must be treated to comply with a certain level of fire resistance by law,
0:55:56 > 0:56:01'there are currently no fire regulations for duvets, carpets or curtains in the UK.
0:56:01 > 0:56:05'For this reason, it's always worth checking labels on any such products
0:56:05 > 0:56:07'to see what they say in terms of fire safety.'
0:56:07 > 0:56:12- Is there any point in asking about the picture, Sir Ken?- I'm afraid this is all that survived.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15There's no picture and there's no frame any more.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18There's no nothing. This really is everything from the bedroom.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25The fire resisting power of a simple woolly blanket
0:56:25 > 0:56:28is just one of the surprising things I discovered
0:56:28 > 0:56:32while exploring how and why sheep are used to make our products.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35'In fact, it seems as though many of the sheep's body parts,
0:56:35 > 0:56:38'from its warm, durable fleece to its moisturising grease,
0:56:38 > 0:56:41'have natural qualities that are hard to beat.
0:56:41 > 0:56:46'It's made me and the people I've shared this journey with think again about the humble sheep.'
0:56:46 > 0:56:50And even though some of the things we do with it can be quite hard to stomach,
0:56:50 > 0:56:53I'm glad we don't waste any of it.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57'Next time on Kill It, Cut It, Use It, the pig.'
0:56:57 > 0:57:01- It won't go on. - Ohh! That's just horrible!
0:57:01 > 0:57:03- Oh, my God. - GUNSHOT
0:57:03 > 0:57:06- Pig head.- Urgh, it's got skin in it!
0:57:08 > 0:57:11- That saved me. - That's keeping you alive.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:57:17 > 0:57:21E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk