0:00:02 > 0:00:04From the clothes we wear to the cars we drive,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08from what we use to look good to what we use to relax...
0:00:08 > 0:00:11- THEY SHOUT - ..our lives are full of products,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14and our products are full of animals.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22In the past few years, I've learned a lot about how the meat we eat
0:00:22 > 0:00:25reaches our plates. But I've always wondered what happens
0:00:25 > 0:00:28to the bits of the animal that we don't eat.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32It turns out these leftover parts are made into things we use every day...
0:00:32 > 0:00:35That's 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 > 0:00:42Oh, my God!
0:00:42 > 0:00:44My face is on fire!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48I've never, ever smelled anything like that.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53'To find out how, I'm going on extraordinary journey
0:00:53 > 0:00:56'to see these raw animal parts 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!
0:01:08 > 0:01:10HE GROANS
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Mine had a testicle on it!
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Oh, don'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 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 > 0:01:29'..getting hands-on...'
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I don't think that's going to go in there.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36'..and discovering what makes these animal leftovers indispensable.'
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- I can't even look at it! - What am I doing here with these?
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Could knowing that so many of our favourite items
0:01:41 > 0:01:46contain animals change the way we feel about them forever?
0:01:50 > 0:01:54We are a nation of meat lovers. Every year in the UK,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57we munch our way through tens of millions of cows,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01sheep and pigs, and half a million tons of fish and seafood.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05But our use for animals doesn't stop at the dinner table.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09'Over the course of this series, I've been amazed to discover
0:02:09 > 0:02:13'the ways bits of animal we don't eat can be turned into products we can't do without.'
0:02:13 > 0:02:16I mean, that's just strange, isn't it?
0:02:16 > 0:02:21'In this programme, I'll revisit some of the most shocking and surprising uses I've found.'
0:02:21 > 0:02:24- THEY SCREAM - Oh, my God! It's a fish!
0:02:24 > 0:02:29'It turns out that hidden animals lurk everywhere,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32'from our bathroom cabinets and bedside tables
0:02:32 > 0:02:34'to our laundrettes and pubs.'
0:02:34 > 0:02:38But despite the fact that we come skin-to-skin with these products
0:02:38 > 0:02:40almost every day, most of us have little idea
0:02:40 > 0:02:44about where they're from or what's in them.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48'Including this group of lads from Manchester,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50'who I took to a local slaughterhouse
0:02:50 > 0:02:53'to find out how a car becomes a leather car seat.'
0:02:53 > 0:02:55- Here we are.- Here we go.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03Friends Calvin, Curtis and Jordan like to look good
0:03:03 > 0:03:05when they're out on the town. For them, a high-end motor
0:03:05 > 0:03:09with a quality interior is an essential part of the image.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11I want a leather interior.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14It's got to be tan. It can't be cream or black.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17You know that one that's not red and it's not cream? Like in between.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21It's just that noise - that's a symbolic noise for, like, leather.
0:03:21 > 0:03:27But had they ever considered where their sumptuous interior started its life?
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Nobody thinks about that kind of thing.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32They just want to see that leather in the car. It's a statement,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34and it is quite comfy, actually.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37No-one thinks where anything comes from at all.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39It's on a shelf, so as far as you're concerned,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42if you buy summat from Tesco, it's from Tesco.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44It was made at Tesco.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And how did they feel about what was to come?
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Anyone who sees something die or killed,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52you're going to have some type of emotional reaction.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54I don't believe anyone can stand there
0:03:54 > 0:03:57and blatantly say, "I'm not bothered by that."
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'With that in mind, I took the boys to meet John Mettrick
0:04:03 > 0:04:07'at his family-run butchery business in the Peak District.'
0:04:07 > 0:04:12'The Mettricks operate what's known as a best-practice abattoir,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15'which means that animal welfare is a top priority.'
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Welcome to our small abattoir in the Derbyshire hills.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22This is Carlos here, the vet. He's looking at the animals at the moment,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24to make sure they're fit and healthy for slaughter.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26I don't want to get too close.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29These animals are in an unfamiliar environment.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31We won't bolt them with strange faces,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33because it's very important to keep them calm.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37What do you think, looking at the animals now, lads?
0:04:37 > 0:04:40They don't look too happy. They look like they know what's...
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Do you think of car-seat covers when you look at them?
0:04:44 > 0:04:47When you see a cow, you don't think of the process.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49You don't think of a potential car seat.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52No. You think, "Oh, that could be a couch at DFS,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56or be in a BMW." You just think it's a cow.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58- What's next, John? - We need to go and get kitted up
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- to see the next part of the process, so if you'd like to follow me...- OK.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09'We made our way to the lairage, where the cows are stunned.'
0:05:09 > 0:05:12OK? Now, this here is the captive bolt gun,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15which is used for stunning cattle. It doesn't shoot a bullet.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20It shoots a piece of metal out - a bolt - into the animal's head.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25And the bolt penetrates the skull and renders the animal brain-dead.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28All its sensations are gone. Everything's gone.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30It's effectively out.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31You think you could do it?
0:05:31 > 0:05:33- Shoot the cow in the head?- Yeah.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37You'd get affected emotionally after you'd done it.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42'We followed John to the slaughter hall, where the life of each cow is ended.'
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Being on this side, knowing that a cow, in about two minutes or so,
0:05:45 > 0:05:51is going to drop out at my feet, brain-dead, is a bit...worrying.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59My heart is going sick.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03GUN CLICKS
0:06:03 > 0:06:04That was it.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Oh!
0:06:06 > 0:06:08I just don't like it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Right?
0:06:12 > 0:06:14So now he's going to lift the animal up at an angle,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18and he'll push it along this gantry here, right,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21over the top of the bleed area.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Nah, nah, nah. This is wrong, you know.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27He's had those knives in a steriliser.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30He's got two knives there. One is for cutting through the fur,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34which he's done now, then the second knife cuts the main blood vessels.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37He's gone through the carotid artery there.
0:06:37 > 0:06:43All the blood vessels leading to the head are now severed.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48So that's the jugular vein and the carotid artery cut.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51All that kicking is those muscles shutting down,
0:06:51 > 0:06:53the chemical reactions.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59It never gets any easier to watch, I tell you that.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Because I can see the red meat inside,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- I'm starting to think of it as...- Food.- Yeah, as food.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10'But it's not the meat that will end up on their car seats.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12'It's the hide that we had come to see,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14'and removing it is an incredibly skilled job.'
0:07:14 > 0:07:17He's got a seam there just between the actual hide
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and the fat. It's very important that, when he does that,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24he hits that seam, because if he cut through the fat,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26he'll disturb blood vessels. They'll actually burst,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and he won't be able to see where he's going.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32You note he's making long strokes with his knife, as well.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36That's quite deliberate, because he's not wanting to score the inside of the hide.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39And that scoring, which is the roughness,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41will mean that the hide will be worth less money,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45so it's long, smooth cuts you can see he's making, yeah?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Looking a bit peaky there.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Are you all right? - Yeah. I'm all right.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55I'm just not going to try and pretend that this is all right.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Do you know what I mean?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00You're so far removed from this process.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02It comes to us nicely in a little packet,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05and it tastes nice, and...
0:08:06 > 0:08:10..the leather, it feels nice. You don't think of it like this.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14'Once the hide is completely removed, it's taken through to the offal house.'
0:08:14 > 0:08:17This is the chute which the hide comes through.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20That's off one of the Belgian blue heifers
0:08:20 > 0:08:23that we saw earlier in the lairage. This is the back end here.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26You can see the tail there, and that's the neck end there.
0:08:26 > 0:08:32- When the recession hit, the price of that hide dropped to as little as £9.- For all of that?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Yes. That's when the car industry was in trouble.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37They weren't needing the leather interiors.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39We were only getting nine quid for it.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44'It had been a challenging and thought-provoking morning.'
0:08:44 > 0:08:47During the process of programmes that I've made,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50I've witnessed that, with different animals,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53- about 60 times, and I don't think I want to see it again.- Yeah.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56But every time I think about it and go round and round,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59I can't think of a better way... If you're going to do this,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03if you're going to eat meat, if you're going to use meat
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- and animal products... - If it has to be done that way,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08that is probably the perfect way of doing it.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12To find out how this mass of soggy skins
0:09:12 > 0:09:15turns into a classy car interiors, we headed north to Glasgow,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17home of the Scottish Leather Group,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20the UK's largest producers of cow leather,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23where Gareth Scott showed us around.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27This is a delivery which came in this morning out of an abattoir
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- in the south of England. - It's heavy, that, isn't it?
0:09:30 > 0:09:34- Whoa! That's so heavy. - How heavy is that?
0:09:34 > 0:09:38After inspection, the hide goes through a process called liming,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41which removes all the hair from the skin.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44How many hides can this tumble-dryer hold?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47It has the capacity to turn over 3,000 hides a day.
0:09:48 > 0:09:5224 hours later, the hides emerge hair-free.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56That is just such a weird vision -
0:09:56 > 0:10:00skin hanging there, moving around slowly.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03'Next, the fat and tissue is removed from the skin.'
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- Feels so rubbery. - It's really rubbery, isn't it?
0:10:06 > 0:10:09'And the remaining hide is mechanically split in two.'
0:10:09 > 0:10:13It's the grain half of the hide that's used to make high-quality leather,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17but first it must be tanned with chemicals to preserve it.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20It's just a big drum of chamois leathers now.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24- Each stage takes it further away from being a cow.- Now it's not a cow.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28The leather is pressed, dried and put through a final shaving machine
0:10:28 > 0:10:30to make it thinner still.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34This is it. This is the finished product.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36This will go in an Aston Martin car seat.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Now that it's like this, I think, "Screw the cow."
0:10:39 > 0:10:41I just think, "Look how nice it is!"
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Still, you know where it came from. You were there.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47But it don't matter now. We've got what we want.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49- Really?- You have to remember,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52the cow would never be killed for this piece of leather.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55That's what's good about it - that a cow is killed for meat.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58This is a by-product that happens to be profitable.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02We've been through, like, tragedy, death, blood, gore -
0:11:02 > 0:11:05"Ooh, this is nice!" Do you know what I mean?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12To make its way onto desirable car doors,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15seats and dashboards, the finished leather is pattern-cut
0:11:15 > 0:11:20and hand-stitched before being fitted into every freshly minted vehicle.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24And it's here that the cow arrives at its final destination.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Worldwide, 320 million cattle hides were turned into leather last year,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and over 50 million of these ended up in vehicles.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38But it's not just cars that look good in leather.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40SONG: "Fashion" by David Bowie
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Leather and suede are staples of the fashion industry,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47from jackets and shoes to handbags and belts.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51When it comes to looking glam, leather is big business.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56And it doesn't just come from cows, which seemed to surprise the great British public.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58What do you think that is?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- Suede.- Er, suede?
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- Suede from which animal? - It's fabricated, right?
0:12:04 > 0:12:06- Er, cow.- Cow?
0:12:06 > 0:12:08- I don't know.- Cow?- Cow?
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Or...could it be from a pig?
0:12:12 > 0:12:15- No way.- It's pig suede.- Is it?- Yeah!
0:12:15 > 0:12:19- Really?- No. I don't want to wear a pig on my feet!
0:12:19 > 0:12:21A pig on your feet...
0:12:21 > 0:12:25- I've bought how many pigs? - SHE LAUGHS
0:12:27 > 0:12:30In the UK, we like to leave the skin on our pigs to eat,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34but a trip to Poland revealed how, elsewhere, pigs are skinned at slaughter.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37You see it as a bag now.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40And then the skin is turned to leather and suede.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43It's more common than you might think.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47About ten percent of the world's leather is made from pigskin.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50And it's mostly found in our clothes and shoes.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56- Feel the soft, soft suede. - So that's pig suede?
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Our wardrobes are a virtual farmyard of animals.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Sheepskin boots? Guess what they're made of.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09In the UK, we purchase a million pairs every year.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15And fish skin? Yep, even fish skin is used to make leather.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22So it's placing the tail down, and release the fish.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Salmon bag.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Look at that!
0:13:29 > 0:13:31That is amazing.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- What do we think of this handbag? - It's cute.- I like it.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Oh, my God! It's a fish!
0:13:39 > 0:13:40- Wow!- No way!
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- Oh, right!- A fish?
0:13:45 > 0:13:48High fashion is all about looking good,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51but looking good isn't all about clothes.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Cosmetics, creams, hairsprays, soaps -
0:13:54 > 0:13:58the UK beauty industry is worth about £8 billion a year,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02and it's absolutely brimming with animal by-products.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06I took best friends Rachel and Emily to Iceland
0:14:06 > 0:14:10to discover just what went into some of their favourite products.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Every other day I wash my hair, putting shampoo and conditioner in.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- 'Then volumising mousse.' - Then I have a hair serum
0:14:25 > 0:14:29- for the ends of my hair. - I would put a heat-defencing spray,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33- protect it from the blow-dry. - A curl-boosting mousse. Cover it with hairspray.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36And I'd reapply it several times during the day.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- I thought- I- was high-maintenance! - Feels really nice.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42But how much do they know about what's in their products?
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I do think about what goes into the products,
0:14:45 > 0:14:50but a lot of the time I don't understand what's written on the back of packets.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53I've been vegetarian for about 20 years.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55If I found out that my favourite hair product
0:14:55 > 0:14:58was animal-tested,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01or contained any raw animal product,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04I would be so upset.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14'Iceland seemed a bizarre place for any hair product
0:15:14 > 0:15:18'to start its life, but fishing marketeer Bjorn was on hand to help.'
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- Say hello to Bjorn. - Hello. Hi. Welcome.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- Nice to meet you.- And we have to say welcome to Iceland, don't we?
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- Because this is the first time. - It is.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Have you heard of a product called chitosan?
0:15:29 > 0:15:30- No.- No.- No, we haven't.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35- Chitosan is found in hair products. - Right. I've never heard of it.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- What is it, Bjorn? - Well, I will not tell you now.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40First we will go to this boat, out to the sea,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and afterwards you will find out what it is.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46We're going on the boat! It'll be an adventure. Come on, girls.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54As we tried to find our sea legs, Bjorn explained that the trawler
0:15:54 > 0:15:56could hold 20 tons of fish.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59It goes out in rough seas for five and six days at a time,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01fishing deep in the Arctic Circle.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Oh, don't film me being sick!
0:16:08 > 0:16:10We were keen to fish out the origin of chitosan,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13but Bjorn was playing slightly hard-to-get.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15What are we fishing for today?
0:16:15 > 0:16:19- Today we're fishing prawns.- Prawns?
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Because you were asking about chitosan,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and the answer to that question is in the prawns.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- So chitosan comes from prawns?- Yeah.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Each haul is around two tons, and can take eight hours to sort.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Oh, my God!
0:16:41 > 0:16:45'So we ventured below deck to help Bjorn with the catch.'
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Hurry, hurry!
0:16:47 > 0:16:50You use lots of hair products. You're a model.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54I did not realise that they were using prawn in my hair.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- No! - I'm never using hair products again.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00You're saying that... Over there, over there, over there!
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- Got one, got one, got one! - Are you absolutely sure about that?
0:17:03 > 0:17:07- This is going on my hair. - But we don't know how yet.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09I don't know how. That is true.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13With that delightful thought, we followed the prawns ashore,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15where they're boiled ready for processing.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Four and a half million prawns are processed here every day.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29- So, what's going on here, Bjorn? - This is the prawn-peeling plant.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Where does the chitosan come from? Which bit of the prawn?
0:17:33 > 0:17:37- From the shells. - It is from the shells? Ah!
0:17:38 > 0:17:42While the meat makes its way to sandwiches in the UK,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45the tough shells that protect the prawns go next door to be processed.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Oh, no!
0:18:03 > 0:18:05That is really disgusting!
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Each one of these trucks contains 13 tons of shells,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11packed with a substance called chitin,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13which will later become chitosan.
0:18:14 > 0:18:20- I'm not putting that in my hair. - Chances are you probably have, love.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- It looks like prawn soup, doesn't it?- It really does.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26It doesn't look that appetising.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Not something at the moment that I'd want to put on my hair either.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36'After we hose them down, the shells are mixed with hydrochloric acid
0:18:36 > 0:18:39'to remove the calcium, then mixed with sodium hydroxide,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42'commonly known as caustic soda, to remove protein and colour.'
0:18:45 > 0:18:47That's weird!
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Oh! It's like little particles of plastic.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53'According to the manufacturers, removing protein
0:18:53 > 0:18:56'lowers the risk of an allergic reaction to the shellfish.'
0:18:56 > 0:19:00It doesn't look like a shell or a meat, or...
0:19:00 > 0:19:02It smells of nothing.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06The white sludge is chitin, which is pressed and dried.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11- It's not still chitosan. - Still not?- No.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15'From here it's processed further, into a powder, and that's it -
0:19:15 > 0:19:17'chitosan.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19'Simply add water...
0:19:19 > 0:19:22'citric acid...
0:19:22 > 0:19:26'ethanol, and you've got a basic hairspray.'
0:19:27 > 0:19:29'So, what did the girls think?'
0:19:29 > 0:19:32I don't have an issue, because I eat the prawns,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36so that for me is fine. The fact that the shell is used in this way,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39is this miracle product, think is fantastic. Vegetarian -
0:19:39 > 0:19:42moral dilemma. What will you do about your hair product?
0:19:42 > 0:19:45For ethical reasons, now I know it has come from a creature,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48I'm going to go home and check all my products,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52and any ones that do contain... contain the ingredient,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54I think will be chucked out. I couldn't use it.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57I'd imagine the prawns on my hair otherwise.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04I was amazed to discover just how many hair products chitosan is in.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06And when you look at a prawn shell, you can see why.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10It is just so tough and flexible. It's an amazing natural material.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15Once I got started, I found that the beauty industry was bursting with animal by-products.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19If Rachel was upset to discover prawns in her hairspray,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23I wonder what she would've made of pig in her hairbrush?
0:20:23 > 0:20:25- Right, guys. Really silly question. What's this.- Brush.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- What are these?- Bristles. - What are they made out of?
0:20:29 > 0:20:31You should know this. You work in a hair salon.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- Where do you think bristles come from?- Bristol?
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- It's hair off an animal. Which one?- Horse.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38A pig.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- Pig have hair?- Pig...have...hair.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46When you read on the packets "real bristle", that's what it is.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- Oh, that's disgusting. - You didn't know that?- No!
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Pig hair, or bristle, to give it its technical term,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55has been used for brush-making for hundreds of years.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59It's said to be the best-possible material to run through your hair.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Stiff yet supple, and slightly scaly in texture,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04bristle removes dirt and debris
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and transfers natural oils down the length of the hair
0:21:07 > 0:21:10to give a natural glossy sheen.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16'The hair is removed from the pigs by submerging them in scalding water
0:21:16 > 0:21:18'after they've been slaughtered.'
0:21:18 > 0:21:21I mean, that's just strange, isn't it?
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Oh!
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Most of the world's bristle actually comes from China,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29but I was keen to give our British bristle a go.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33- Got some bags for me? - I've got one here.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36- I don't know whether that'll be big enough.- Go on, squeeze it in!
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I don't mind touching it. Very nice.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Bristle in hand, I headed off to make my very own hairbrush.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48- This is rare-breed boar bristle. - Not that much, is there, really?
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- There's not that much. - This is what we need.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- This is from China, this one?- Yeah.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- Hiya, Jane.- Hello.- Hello, Jane.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01- Ah! There we go.- There you are. - You see, that's not so bad!
0:22:01 > 0:22:03'Well, maybe it is.'
0:22:03 > 0:22:07It's not just hairbrushes that contain bristle.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10It's traditionally found in shaving brushes,
0:22:10 > 0:22:12paintbrushes, and, believe it or not...
0:22:12 > 0:22:14some toothbrushes.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Whether it's shiny hair or shiny teeth,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22the chances are your beauty regime involves animals
0:22:22 > 0:22:26whether you know it or not. Take lanolin, for instance.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31- Lanolin.- Lanolin.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- I've never heard of lanolin. - I don't know what it is.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39- Lanolin? What is lanolin? - What is lanolin?- Is it bad?
0:22:39 > 0:22:41SONG: "Grease" by the Bee Gees
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Ever had greasy hair?
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Well, lanolin is the natural wool grease of sheep.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Can you feel it? I've handled sheep before.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56- Yeah, you can feel the grease. - It is sticky.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57That's the wool grease.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59'No sheep are killed in the making of lanolin.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02'It's obtained by washing the wool from a shorn sheep,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06'and once processed, provides a vital natural ingredient
0:23:06 > 0:23:09'for face creams, moisturisers, lipsticks and balms.'
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- You can see how clear it is now. - Yeah.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Oh, that's really sticky. That's like earwax.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18But what did your shoppers make of it?
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Ewww!
0:23:20 > 0:23:23- Oh, that's weird.- Is that weird? Is that disgusting for you?
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Yeah.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- Not good?- No.- Not happy with that?
0:23:27 > 0:23:31- That's disgusting.- I'll close my eyes while picking it up.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Just carry on. Carry on regardless. After all, it's beauty, darling!
0:23:36 > 0:23:38From looking good to keeping clean,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41animal leftovers make their way into all our homes,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45in sometimes entirely unrecognisable forms.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49'I learnt more about a hidden animal product
0:23:49 > 0:23:52'that's everywhere when I visited the Lake District
0:23:52 > 0:23:56'to witness a process called rendering.'
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Over half a million tons of sheep, cow and pig parts
0:24:02 > 0:24:06go unwanted by the food industry every year.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09But they don't go to waste. They make their way to rendering sites
0:24:09 > 0:24:12across the UK.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Though it's a vital job, it's a pretty grisly one,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and something that's historically been kept under wraps.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Alba Proteins kindly gave me a rare opportunity
0:24:21 > 0:24:25to see rendering first hand.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Site manager Simon Boyes agreed to show me around.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Today we've got a load of sheep coming in so we can process.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Right. About how much? It's a big truck.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39About 20 to 25 tons we normally receive in one load.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48'The raw animal parts are unloaded into a huge bin.'
0:24:48 > 0:24:52- 25 tons of sheep bits and bobs! - Yeah.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55It's pretty gruesome, you've got to say.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58I mean, the blood on the floor, the fleshy bits...
0:24:58 > 0:25:01It is, but what you've got to appreciate is,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04this is materials which are fit for humans,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06but they choose not to eat.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09'The sheep parts had just started to decay,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12'and were giving off a real stink.'
0:25:12 > 0:25:14I haven't actually smelled anything quite as pungent
0:25:14 > 0:25:16even in an abattoir.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19It really sticks to the back of your throat.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23'And if that lorry load of sheep parts didn't smell pretty,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26'they certainly didn't look pretty either.'
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Ugh, that's a lot of sheep heads.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32It is. We've got sheep heads, hooves, ears,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35sheep fat, and also the carcase as well.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41From the bins, the parts pass into the crusher,
0:25:41 > 0:25:47which has a large screw inside that pounds them into small pieces as it rotates.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49You see the picture? There is the crusher.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52It's crushing the material down to particle size,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54and we pump directly into the cooker.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56So basically that's turning it into pate.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00That's right, yes. The material then goes into the cooker.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07So here we have the material which is being cooked at the moment.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11We heat the material up to a minimum of 120 degrees.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14It kills the bacteria, flashes off the moisture.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16It's like a kebab machine!
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Yeah. You can see the oil being released from the material.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23'The solid material goes on to be made into fertiliser
0:26:23 > 0:26:25'and dried pet food, while the melted animal fat
0:26:25 > 0:26:29'is squeezed out by a press and drained off.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33'This is what I'd come for. It's known in the industry as tallow.'
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- That's it? That's tallow? - That's our finished product
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- that we sell to the customer. - It's like gravy.
0:26:39 > 0:26:40SHEEP BLEATS
0:26:40 > 0:26:44- So there's a lot of that in there. - There certainly is, yes.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- And that's going off to your customers?- It does.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50So the million-dollar question is, who ARE your customers?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- What is this used in these days? - Conditioners, cosmetics.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56It forms the first ingredient of a cleaning agent.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00That's a bit of a surprise. Have you ever tasted any?
0:27:00 > 0:27:02- I haven't, no.- I don't blame you.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09I wonder how many people know about this product,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12and how they feel about it when they know how it's made?
0:27:12 > 0:27:14All right, boys?
0:27:14 > 0:27:17To find out, I met up with Jenny and Laura,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20who knew very little about what went into their weekly wash.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24- So, you're students?- Yeah.- What do you look for in washing products?
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- Well, the price.- What's on offer.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- Do you ever look at the ingredients? - No.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Look at the ingredients on that. Do any stick out to you?
0:27:33 > 0:27:37- Read that one.- I don't even know what those words are.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40- What's the worst thing it could be? - If it was dead animal in there,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42that would be the worst thing ever.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47OK. This is what is in a lot of fabric conditioners and soaps.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50THEY SCREAM
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- Oh, my God! - Oh, I can't even look at it!
0:27:53 > 0:27:55- That is disgusting. - What even is that?
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- That's sheep's head.- Urgh! - It's not just sheep.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Lots of animals go into this kind of product.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- So it's in everything? - It's in an awful lot.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07It's in lots of fabric conditioners, lots of soaps.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I don't feel clean. I don't. I feel like...
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- I keep looking at its little face. - SHEEP BLEATS
0:28:13 > 0:28:16It's like you're cleaning yourself with fat.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Doesn't really work out, does it?
0:28:18 > 0:28:21- I don't mind it, to be honest. - I think it's quite disgusting,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23because you're wiping that all over your body.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Gets you clean, though.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27That's gross!
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Are you curious to know how something like that
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- becomes this product?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Our expert will answer any questions.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37'We were joined by David Howells,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40'a chemist with 30 years' experience in the tallow trade.'
0:28:41 > 0:28:45- What's your big question? - Why? I just don't get it!
0:28:45 > 0:28:49- Why is that used? - How is that head used to make this?
0:28:49 > 0:28:51- In that bottle. - That's a liquid, and that's...
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Because it was there. You've had your sheep. You've eaten it.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58There's by-product from that. You're left with this fat.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02You find things to do with it. I've got a little demonstration here.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04If we put some of the tallow in here...
0:29:04 > 0:29:06This is just some simple caustic-soda solution,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09and instantly it's reacted. When you add salt to it,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12the soap comes to the surface. Run off the water,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15and you make it into a bar of soap. That's it.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19Tallow and tallow-derived chemicals have a number of different names.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Just some of those to look out for on your labels include...
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Or they might be listed as cationic surfactants.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36When we see tallow on a label, does it always come from an animal?
0:29:36 > 0:29:38It's always animal fat.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40And is surfactant always from an animal as well?
0:29:40 > 0:29:45No. It can be from tallow, but it can also be totally synthetic,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48- a detergent made from chemicals. - How do you know?
0:29:48 > 0:29:52Unless it specifies what surfactants they are, you don't.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54You have to go right into the chemistry.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58It's clear that getting to the bottom of what's in our products can be tricky.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01But once we know about hidden ingredients like tallow,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03we then have to decide how we feel about them.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Has it changed how you think about what you buy,
0:30:06 > 0:30:08- your perception of the industry? - Definitely!
0:30:08 > 0:30:11It's really deceiving. How are you -
0:30:11 > 0:30:15Sorry. I'm, like, a quick in and out, so I'll just grab what I need,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and I would never think to look at it.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19But now I would definitely take a minute to look.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22- I know the words now. - Know what to look out for.
0:30:22 > 0:30:27- Do you think the fact that animals have been used in these products should be labelled?- Yeah.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31They still put on "animal testing" and "suitable for vegetarians",
0:30:31 > 0:30:35"vegans", all sorts. They should at least indicate it,
0:30:35 > 0:30:37because if people still want to use it, they will.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41We know now but we'll still buy it, whereas if nobody knows,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44then they're using it unaware, and that's a bit rubbish.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46- Do you want to take the sheep heads with you?- No.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48- I think they can stay there. - SHEEP BLEATS
0:30:48 > 0:30:51Discovering that animal fats can help keep us clean
0:30:51 > 0:30:54was just one of the surprises I encountered.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57From products that improve our bodies
0:30:57 > 0:30:59to products that claim to improve our minds,
0:30:59 > 0:31:04I never thought I'd find a bit of an animal nestled in the pages of my bedtime read.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08From celebrity biogs to the latest cookbooks,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12we bought 55 million hardback books in the UK last year.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15I was curious to find out what animal by-product
0:31:15 > 0:31:17might be in these prolific page-turners.
0:31:17 > 0:31:22So I recruited avid readers Andy and Emily to help me find out.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26I've got a student cookbook. It's something my mum gave me
0:31:26 > 0:31:29before I went to uni, like, "You may need this to survive."
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Great for midnight snacks, actually.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35My nan sent me a cookbook for singles.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37I was, like, "Thanks!"
0:31:37 > 0:31:39- Rub it in!- Yeah!
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Before I go to bed I always try to maybe get a chapter in.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46'When I'm on holiday, long journeys...'
0:31:46 > 0:31:48'I read mine on train journeys on the way to uni.'
0:31:48 > 0:31:51You just whip out your book and you forget about it.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53You don't notice anyone around you.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57I prefer hardback because my paperbacks get completely ruined.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01I'd buy a hardback when it's just come out,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04when it's really exciting and it's a first edition,
0:32:04 > 0:32:06something like that. It makes it special.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10- There's something more to it. - It seems more of an upgrade.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Yeah, like you spent a little bit more money on it.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14Exactly, yeah.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Although these two are never far from a book,
0:32:17 > 0:32:19they know very little about how they're made,
0:32:19 > 0:32:21so we headed off to Diamond Print Services,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24one of the UK's leading bookbinders, to find out.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27So, welcome to sunny Enfield.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30You're both students. When you're reading,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34do you think about how your books are made, where they come from?
0:32:34 > 0:32:37It's not something you consider. It never crosses your mind.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41- You just get it from the shop and it's there.- It's there.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Do you think any animals are used in the manufacturing of books?
0:32:44 > 0:32:49- I wouldn't have thought that at all. - I wouldn't connect that with books.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51And they're not the only ones.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53- HE LAUGHS - Which bit?
0:32:53 > 0:32:57- It's obviously not the paper. - Potentially the glossy pages.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- Some sort of fish? - Something to do with the binding?
0:33:00 > 0:33:04- Maybe the letters, the print. - The ink from an octopus.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10'Back in Enfield, bookbinding specialist Nick Dingwall promised to reveal all.'
0:33:10 > 0:33:13So, here we have the ingredient
0:33:13 > 0:33:16that goes into producing books.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19- All books?- Pretty much. All hardback books, yes.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Come on, Nick.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25- There we are.- Urgh!
0:33:25 > 0:33:27- OK.- Ugh!
0:33:27 > 0:33:30They are bones. They're a bit niffy, as well.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34The glue we use to bind the books is derived from hide and bones,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37- primarily from cattle.- Really?- Yeah.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Animal glue isn't something we make in this country any more,
0:33:43 > 0:33:48but in countries like Egypt they continue to make glue as they have done for thousands of years.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53In Cairo, cattle bones are collected from abattoirs across the city
0:33:53 > 0:33:56and brought by the truckload to the Lion glue factory,
0:33:56 > 0:33:58where they're heaped into giant piles.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05The first task is to sort the bones from the horns and the hooves,
0:34:05 > 0:34:09and remove any rubbish that might have made it into the mix.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12The sorted bones are then placed onto a conveyor belt,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15which takes them to a crusher where they're broken down
0:34:15 > 0:34:17into smaller, more manageable pieces.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Next the fat has to be stripped from the bones
0:34:20 > 0:34:24using a strong solvent. This process is called degreasing.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27The degreased bones are now ready for the final step
0:34:27 > 0:34:29in the glue-making process.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32They're heated in the de-gluing machine.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36The intense heat and pressure melts the collagen inside the bones,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38and it runs out as a hot, sticky glue.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44The fresh glue is collected in bottles ready for use.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52So that's the glue. That's actually a block of animal-derived glue.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56- Looks like toffee!- And what does the packaging say on that?
0:34:56 > 0:34:59The manufacturers are a little bit squeamish
0:34:59 > 0:35:02about calling it animal glue, so they tend to prefer to call it
0:35:02 > 0:35:05things like protein glue or jelly glue,
0:35:05 > 0:35:08because essentially jelly is exactly what that is.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12'Animal glue is used to stick the face paper on hardback covers,
0:35:12 > 0:35:15'the decorative head and tail bands you get on fancy books,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17'and any ribbons.'
0:35:17 > 0:35:19So it's quite a big ingredient for you.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23It's a fairly major ingredient, but it's a very natural ingredient,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27and it's a by-product of a lot of other processes,
0:35:27 > 0:35:29so it's the ultimate in recycling, really.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31COW MOOS
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Nick got the guys making book covers to get a feel for the glue.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- That is the raw material.- OK.
0:35:39 > 0:35:40Ugh!
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Urgh!
0:35:42 > 0:35:47The outer covering material, a front board, back board and a spine.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51'The solid blocks of glue are melted to a runny liquid,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53'which spreads easily but dries fast.'
0:35:54 > 0:35:59And the key to this is to work reasonably quickly.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03SONG: "Let's Stick Together" by Bryan Ferry
0:36:05 > 0:36:07I can see it drying already.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10'The animal glue is extremely tacky,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13'which makes it perfect for sticking paper to card.'
0:36:13 > 0:36:16- Can you smell it more now that it's melted?- Definitely.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19It's really smelly now. It's sticking my hands together.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23- It's really sticky on your hands. - Yeah, that's looking good.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Well, depending on your definition...
0:36:26 > 0:36:31- I just wanted to finish first. - I'm winning!
0:36:31 > 0:36:35I wouldn't necessarily put it round a book we're going to make, but...
0:36:35 > 0:36:37We were kind of going for that.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41It's fairly important that we've got a nice, smooth, even finish,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43no bubbles and things like that.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47- And, you know... - There are a few bubbles.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50There are imperfections here and there.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53'OK. Time to see how the machines do it.'
0:36:53 > 0:36:57To give you an idea of exactly how much adhesive should be on there,
0:36:57 > 0:37:01that very thin film on this rotating drum
0:37:01 > 0:37:04- is actually the amount of adhesive. - Very fine layer.
0:37:04 > 0:37:05Very, very thin layer.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08'At one end of the casing machine,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11'the cardboard's fed in and cut into three pieces.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15'At the other end, the face paper is fed in over the drum,
0:37:15 > 0:37:17'which applies a thin layer of animal glue.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20'The board and the paper are then pressed together
0:37:20 > 0:37:22'and the edges folded up.'
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Slightly neater job happening there, isn't it?
0:37:30 > 0:37:33And there we are - stack of finished cases.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- They are better.- That's much nicer.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39That's so neat and lovely, isn't it?
0:37:39 > 0:37:42It just feels like a quality product.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46'Next the pages must be stuck into the case,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49'and more animal glue is used to attach the ribbon
0:37:49 > 0:37:52'and the head and the tail band.'
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- How much glue do you get through? - In normal running,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58on a book like this, 3,500 books in an hour,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00we would probably only use one pack of this.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04That's quite good, isn't it? It's more efficient than your gluing.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Exactly!
0:38:07 > 0:38:11The vast majority of hardback books use animal glue in their binding.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14But we were curious to learn why, when there are other glues available.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21There are synthetic glues out there, so why is it so widely used?
0:38:21 > 0:38:23The synthetics that are available
0:38:23 > 0:38:26are derived mainly from the chemical and oil industry.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29They're things that are going to run out at some point,
0:38:29 > 0:38:31and this is still a completely organic,
0:38:31 > 0:38:34- completely recycled material. - Does it make it cheaper?
0:38:34 > 0:38:38Absolutely. Oil prices, chemical prices are increasing,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41but as a natural, recycled product, this is something
0:38:41 > 0:38:45that we can continue to use, and it's reasonably cost effective.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50Our tour was over. But before we left, Nick had a present for me.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54We've got something for you, just about to be delivered out now.
0:38:54 > 0:38:55- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- OK. - SHE LAUGHS
0:38:58 > 0:39:01- Ah, yes! My lifetime's work! - THEY LAUGH
0:39:01 > 0:39:04'It was just a gag of course,
0:39:04 > 0:39:07'but what did other people make of books stuck with animal glue?'
0:39:07 > 0:39:11It's quite a shock, to be honest. You wouldn't think that happened.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13I think it's really disgusting.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17I don't know. I don't quite like the idea of that, to be honest.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20I think it's all right if it's a by-product of meat.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Doesn't bother me. I eat the meat. Why would I not use the glue?
0:39:23 > 0:39:27I wouldn't associate a cow with a book, but it's resourceful.
0:39:27 > 0:39:28COW MOOS
0:39:28 > 0:39:32- Will this change anything for you? - Um, not personally, no.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34I'm still going to read books.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37I'll probably think about it when I open a book,
0:39:37 > 0:39:41and I'll probably tell my friends, but I'm not a vegan or anything.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43It won't make an impact on my life.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Especially with some books, you can only get them in hardback,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50and what are you supposed to do? If you really want it...
0:39:50 > 0:39:53So next time you're sitting on the sofa, nose in a book...
0:39:53 > 0:39:57- Yeah.- ..are you going to be as enthralled with the storyline,
0:39:57 > 0:39:59or will you be looking at the cover?
0:39:59 > 0:40:02I won't have my nose quite so deep in the book this time.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Animal glue isn't just used for the binding of books.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12It's also used in the manufacture of some trainers,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16board games, puzzles and playing cards.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Chances are you're handling part of a cow every single day.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25Work or play, animal by-products are never far away.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29I found our leisure pursuits littered with animal parts.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34Which part of a tennis racquet do you think might be made from an animal?
0:40:34 > 0:40:38- The strings? - I'd say the strings or the handle.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41- The strings.- Maybe the strings. - I think the strings.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44- Made of skin? - Cat liver or something really weird?
0:40:44 > 0:40:47It may be whiskers wrapped round.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50The gut is my only guess.
0:40:50 > 0:40:55The strings on some tennis racquets are indeed made from the intestines of cows.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58COW MOOS
0:40:58 > 0:41:01- Have a go. Look. - Oh, yeah. There you go.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03- How's that? - SHE LAUGHS
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Er, yeah. It's just pasta. It's fine.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08How many of these would go into a tennis racquet?
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- 15 strands.- 15 strands.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Five is one cow.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16- So how many...- Three cows.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19The soggy intestines are cut into long ribbons of gut,
0:41:19 > 0:41:23which are washed, wound together tightly...
0:41:24 > 0:41:26..and then dried.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28These strings have been here for one week.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30They have to be dried very slowly.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Once they're varnished, they're ready to use.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38These strong, elastic gut strings are favoured over synthetic strings
0:41:38 > 0:41:40by many of the world's pros.
0:41:40 > 0:41:46Sheep's guts, meanwhile are used for an altogether more amorous activity.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48- Do you know what these are? - I know what that is.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50I'm not too sure!
0:41:50 > 0:41:53- What do you think that's made out of?- Latex?
0:41:53 > 0:41:55- What is that - plastic, or... - I'm not sure.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58- Is that intestines?- It is indeed.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00- Oh, right! - SHE LAUGHS
0:42:00 > 0:42:03- Nice!- How do you feel about that now? - Weird.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Is that what they used to make them out of?
0:42:05 > 0:42:09- I tell you what, gents - take one. - Oh, thank you. Ever so kind.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11- Let me know how you get on. - What time do you finish?
0:42:11 > 0:42:13THEY LAUGH
0:42:13 > 0:42:17Though these old-fashioned condoms may help to prevent pregnancy,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20they don't protect from STDs, so for the safest sex,
0:42:20 > 0:42:22it's best to stick with the more modern variety.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Even when it comes to pleasure-seeking,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29it seems that animal by-products are involved.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32I met up with some rugby boys from Canterbury
0:42:32 > 0:42:36to find out which animal organ is involved in their favourite pastime.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40SONG: "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba
0:42:42 > 0:42:44You come to uni and you want to join the rugby team,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47people just expect you will be drinking.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Our drinking team has a rugby problem.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54An away match, we'd start drinking as soon as we'd finished the game, in the changing rooms.
0:42:54 > 0:42:59'Hopefully we've had a win, and we're all in good spirits. Start drinking there.'
0:43:00 > 0:43:02THEY SHOUT
0:43:04 > 0:43:06There isn't much I wouldn't drink.
0:43:06 > 0:43:11- I'd drink urine out of a pint, dog food, sick...- Yeah!
0:43:13 > 0:43:19Would an early start at Billingsgate fish market be enough to put them off their booze?
0:43:21 > 0:43:25- Chris!- Hi.- Temi. Morning, lads. Morning. How we doing?
0:43:25 > 0:43:28- Fantastic.- It's early.- It is early. What do you think we're doing
0:43:28 > 0:43:30- at this ungodly hour? - At a fish market,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33something to do with beer... Not a clue.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37There's a product in beer called isinglass, apparently.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39- From a fish, or... - Yeah, from a fish.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42- All right. Cool. - What do you think about the fact
0:43:42 > 0:43:45that there's something fishy in your beer? Does that put you off?
0:43:45 > 0:43:49- Not yet.- Cos you don't know what it is. Shall we find out how gruesome it is?
0:43:49 > 0:43:52- Yeah.- OK. Come on.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54I think you'll be all right.
0:43:54 > 0:43:59Maybe CJ Jackson, the director of Billingsgate Seafood Training School, would enlighten us.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03CJ, we know that there's something called isinglass in beer,
0:44:03 > 0:44:07- but what is it?- It actually is a dried swim bladder of a fish.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10- What's a swim bladder? - It's like the buoyancy aid.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12It basically keeps round fish upright.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16In the 18th century they used to take the swim bladder from a beluga sturgeon.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19Today beluga sturgeons are really endangered,
0:44:19 > 0:44:24so what they're using now is a fish called Vietnamese catfish or Pangasius.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28What CJ hadn't told us is that Pangasius can grow
0:44:28 > 0:44:32up to three metres long. As it's hard to find whole ones in the UK
0:44:32 > 0:44:35we were going to see the same principle on a much smaller scale.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Say hello to Gary the gurnard.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41I'll hold on to the tail.
0:44:41 > 0:44:46I'm going to insert the scissors into the back of the head of the fish.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47OK?
0:44:47 > 0:44:50And then just gently push... CRUNCHING
0:44:50 > 0:44:54- Ugh!- Not liking that? - No, not at all. Wasn't nice.
0:44:54 > 0:44:55It's not that bad. Man up.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57Bend the fish down.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01- I don't want it to splat on me. - It's not going to splat on you.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04Then I'm going to put my finger in there and gently ease back...
0:45:04 > 0:45:07SQUELCHING The swim bladder is full of gas,
0:45:07 > 0:45:10so it's intact. So you can see the swim bladder.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13- Bend it. Pull it up. - Ooh, there you go. I've got...
0:45:13 > 0:45:15- Look at the bladder. - That's it.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18- There's one as well. - That's the bit you're going to use.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22What I still don't quite understand is how it's used in beer.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Well, I know they dry it, but when it comes to the actual function
0:45:25 > 0:45:29and how they actually use it, you'd need to speak to a brewer.
0:45:32 > 0:45:37Beer historian Peter Haydon agreed to show us round his specialist brewery in Greenwich,
0:45:37 > 0:45:38South London.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40Let's go.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43Contain yourselves! We're going into a brewery.
0:45:51 > 0:45:53Mmm, nice smell!
0:45:58 > 0:46:00This is a fish maw.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02- Which is a swim bladder. - Effectively.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05Which is the raw material from which we make isinglass.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07It's a protein called collagen.
0:46:07 > 0:46:12- It's the same thing as some ladies like to put in their lips to make them bigger.- Don't look at me.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15It's a very pure and natural form of protein.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18So how does that end up as isinglass?
0:46:18 > 0:46:21There are a couple of manufacturers in the UK who produce this
0:46:21 > 0:46:24for the brewing industry. They will take the raw material,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27process it firstly into a powder,
0:46:27 > 0:46:30or, in the format that we're going to use it,
0:46:30 > 0:46:32as a much more liquid format.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Could I drink that, or would I get ill?
0:46:35 > 0:46:38- You can drink that. - There you go, gents.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40In one!
0:46:41 > 0:46:43- Oh, that's horrible. - THEY LAUGH
0:46:43 > 0:46:45Can we see this in action now,
0:46:45 > 0:46:47- how it actually works? - By all means.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Isinglass is used in the production of many cask ales,
0:46:50 > 0:46:53some stouts and a few lagers.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55Yeast cells in beer make it cloudy.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Normally it would take four days
0:46:58 > 0:47:00for these cells to sink to the bottom of a keg,
0:47:00 > 0:47:04leaving a clear beer. Adding isinglass speeds up this process,
0:47:04 > 0:47:07as it attracts the yeast cells into heavy clusters
0:47:07 > 0:47:11which sink to the bottom in just six hours.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13So, Kev, if you want to do the honours...
0:47:13 > 0:47:16- Ta-dah-dah!- That's ridiculous.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20- So the swim bladder is at the bottom of that keg?- Absolutely.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23'So, if isinglass falls to the bottom of the barrel,
0:47:23 > 0:47:25'is there any of it left in the final drink?'
0:47:25 > 0:47:29- You insist it's not part of the beer, not part of the mix?- No.
0:47:29 > 0:47:30No longer.
0:47:30 > 0:47:35'Studies agree that in most cases isinglass is undetectable in the finished pint.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38'But some bottle-conditioned ales and cask ales,
0:47:38 > 0:47:42'if served from too near the bottom of the barrel, may still contain minute amounts.'
0:47:42 > 0:47:46I found the whole process today really interesting and fascinating,
0:47:46 > 0:47:48but it hasn't put me off at all.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51When you were cutting open the fish and saw the blood and guts,
0:47:51 > 0:47:54but when you see it all dried out and then the liquid,
0:47:54 > 0:47:59- it doesn't put me off.- I was a bit squeamish to start off with.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04To be honest with you it's part of my life, my lifestyle, so I won't give it up that easy.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07- Cheers, guys.- Cheers. - Good day. Thank you. Cheers.
0:48:07 > 0:48:12Who would have thought a fish bladder could brighten up your beer?
0:48:12 > 0:48:15In the surprising stakes, isinglass was right up there,
0:48:15 > 0:48:20but it wasn't perhaps the most noble use for an animal by-product.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25A trip to Southampton airport revealed a protein from cow hoofs
0:48:25 > 0:48:29is used to make special aviation firefighting foam.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33A protein is extracted which is turned into a concentrate,
0:48:33 > 0:48:37which we mix with water and air, which produces the foam.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39Have a sniff.
0:48:39 > 0:48:40Oh!
0:48:42 > 0:48:44Oh, my God!
0:48:44 > 0:48:47The power! It's so forceful!
0:48:47 > 0:48:50The kickback from the hose is amazing!
0:48:50 > 0:48:52My face is on fire!
0:48:52 > 0:48:54COWS MOO
0:48:55 > 0:48:58Meanwhile, in a hair-raising textile experiment,
0:48:58 > 0:49:03we put sheep's wool to the test. Set alight alongside polyester,
0:49:03 > 0:49:06wool proved itself nature's finest fire blanket.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10Less toxic smoke, no dripping. No dripping at all.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14It's self-extinguished, so it's not actually having to put out a fire.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17- Are you surprised, Dan?- I thought it would be a wall of flames.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22It turned out that some animals and their by-products had lifesaving properties,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24none more so than the pig.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29'I was intrigued to discover ballistics experts use blocks of gelatine,
0:49:29 > 0:49:33'made from pigskin, as a substitute for human flesh.'
0:49:33 > 0:49:36That is so strange.
0:49:36 > 0:49:41'Analysing the impact of bullets helps them design better protective clothing
0:49:41 > 0:49:43- 'and medical care for our troops.' - GUNSHOT
0:49:48 > 0:49:51Because pigs are so similar to humans in their anatomy,
0:49:51 > 0:49:55they've proved extremely useful in the field of medicine.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59'I met 19-year-old Glaswegian Robyn, who might not be here today
0:49:59 > 0:50:01'were it not for the pig.'
0:50:04 > 0:50:09Last year I was diagnosed with a heart condition
0:50:09 > 0:50:12called aortic stenosis. It came totally out of the blue,
0:50:12 > 0:50:16because I've been working out since I was, like, 14.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19I was doing a fitness test at college.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23It was the mile run, and I couldn't stop coughing after it.
0:50:25 > 0:50:27So I went to the doctor.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31I was sent off for ECGs and heart scans.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35I had this rare heart condition and I needed heart surgery.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39The main valve taking blood from Robyn's heart to her body
0:50:39 > 0:50:42was critically narrow. It would have to be replaced.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46I was told that if I carried on doing my fitness,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49I could have been a goner in a year's time.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54I came out of the surgeon's office just totally devastated.
0:50:56 > 0:51:01They had to take my own aortic valve and replace it with a pig's one.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05They chose the pig's one because it's most similar to a human valve.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08I was shocked to know you could do stuff like that,
0:51:08 > 0:51:12they could take bits from animals and put them inside a human.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20- How you feeling?- Little bit nervous.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24'To find out more about the piggy part Robyn has inside her,
0:51:24 > 0:51:28'I took her to meet Dr Dan Tucker at Cambridge University veterinary school.'
0:51:28 > 0:51:32- Nice to meet you.- You're in charge of our dissection today?
0:51:32 > 0:51:35I am. Before we go through into the post-mortem room
0:51:35 > 0:51:37we need to put some protective clothing on.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41Dan and his team routinely conduct post-mortems on animals
0:51:41 > 0:51:43who've died of unknown causes.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46The pig on the table unfortunately had to be put down
0:51:46 > 0:51:48because of a painful lameness problem
0:51:48 > 0:51:51which Dan had been asked to investigate.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55In terms of anatomy, pigs are very close to humans, aren't they?
0:51:55 > 0:51:58Absolutely. Blood pressures in the pig are remarkably similar
0:51:58 > 0:52:01to people, because after all, we live similar lifestyles,
0:52:01 > 0:52:05mainly sedentary. We forage around for food and then we go to sleep,
0:52:05 > 0:52:07and so the whole metabolism is the same.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10'Dissecting the pig gave us the rare opportunity
0:52:10 > 0:52:12'to see the heart in detail.'
0:52:12 > 0:52:14These are the lungs here. This is the heart.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18'It was an emotional moment for Robyn as the organ was cut out.'
0:52:19 > 0:52:23This is the aorta. It's a very thick-walled, elastic structure.
0:52:23 > 0:52:28And down in the gloom of there you can actually see the aortic valve.
0:52:28 > 0:52:32'Carefully dissecting the heart gave us a better look at the valve.'
0:52:33 > 0:52:36When you hear your heartbeat, what are you listening to?
0:52:36 > 0:52:39If you think of the heartbeat as being a "lub-dub, lub-dub",
0:52:39 > 0:52:42the "dub" is the closing of the aortic valve,
0:52:42 > 0:52:46and your pulse is the shockwave of that aortic valve closing.
0:52:46 > 0:52:51Robyn, about 18 months ago, somebody was doing this with a pig heart,
0:52:51 > 0:52:53- preparing a valve for you.- I know.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56I wondered if they're, like, already there...
0:52:56 > 0:52:58- Pre-packaged?- Yeah.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01- Gentlemen, are the valves ready and waiting?- Yes.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05- And then somebody picked yours. "This is the one for Robyn." - I suppose so!
0:53:05 > 0:53:08This is the bit that was transplanted over to you.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11- That is incredible. Do you want to hold it?- No, thanks.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14'Cutting it open revealed the three tiny leaflets
0:53:14 > 0:53:18'that make up the valve and keep the blood pumping round our bodies.'
0:53:18 > 0:53:22Do you see now these little cusps? They're like little half-moons.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26They're little pockets, very, very tough, fibrous tissue.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29- They look very delicate. - They look like little petals.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32If it wasn't for these, as you know, you can't cope.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35It's funny something that small saved me.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39That's keeping you alive. That's why you're standing here now.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45Robyn's heart-valve replacement operation was pioneered
0:53:45 > 0:53:47over 30 years ago.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50At King's College Hospital, London,
0:53:50 > 0:53:53top cardiothoracic surgeon Olaf Wendler
0:53:53 > 0:53:56performs the skilled procedure every week.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00To gain access to the heart and the aortic valve,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02we need to open the chest.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06This is done by sawing through and splitting the breastbone.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11A piece of heart membrane is carefully cut away
0:54:11 > 0:54:14to be used later in the operation.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19The patient is then attached to a heart-and-lung bypass machine,
0:54:19 > 0:54:22which will take over circulation during surgery.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25OK. Start up on bypass.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29A solution is used next to chemically stop the heart
0:54:29 > 0:54:32while the aorta, the largest artery in the body, is cut open.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37The damaged aortic valve is then carefully cut away,
0:54:37 > 0:54:39and the pre-packed pig valve prepared.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48The new heart valve is delicately inserted into position
0:54:48 > 0:54:52and carefully stitched into place using the membrane cut away earlier.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02The aorta is reconnected, and as blood is reintroduced
0:55:02 > 0:55:04into the heart, it begins to beat again.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12We have normal blood supply of the heart again.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15The heart-lung machine is still pumping.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19The blood now goes also into the heart itself again,
0:55:19 > 0:55:23starts again purely due to the fact
0:55:23 > 0:55:27that normal blood supply is re-established to the heart
0:55:27 > 0:55:32and enables the heart cells to produce a heart rhythm again.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36The pig valve is working, and the chest is neatly closed.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41Because you're a vegetarian,
0:55:41 > 0:55:45did you ever question whether you would accept part of an animal?
0:55:45 > 0:55:49I didn't question it at all when it was a matter of life and death.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52I don't think anybody would think twice about it.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56- I'm just happy to be standing here. - Absolutely. We're happy as well.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Thanks, little piggy.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01The lifesaving ability of the pig heart valve
0:56:01 > 0:56:05surely makes it the most important animal product I've encountered.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09And it's just one more example of the ingenious ways
0:56:09 > 0:56:13I've seen leftover animal parts transformed into something useful.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17What's amazed me is not just the huge number of animal products
0:56:17 > 0:56:21all around us, but the fact that the bits of animals we don't eat
0:56:21 > 0:56:23have so many valuable natural qualities
0:56:23 > 0:56:27that we can exploit. And given that we farm these animals,
0:56:27 > 0:56:30to me it seems sensible, and almost a moral duty,
0:56:30 > 0:56:34that the bits don't go to waste.
0:56:34 > 0:56:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:56:38 > 0:56:42E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:56:42 > 0:56:42.