Edible soap that tastes like beans on toast has been launched – with just 100 bars available.
While the product might seem like a gimmick, there’s a deeper meaning behind it.
The aim is to expose the impossible choice between eating and staying clean – which is a real issue for many Brits.
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Hygiene poverty affected 4.2m people in the UK last year, according to YouGov.
It was designed by The Goodwash Company and The Hygiene Bank charity, reports Need To Know.
The soap itself is made from cacao butter, organic oat flour, avocado oil and paprika, as well as beans and toast flavouring.
The campaign has caught the attention of Michelin star chefs in London, such as Max Coen, Michael O’Hare and Ruben Dawnay, who are allegedly adding shavings of the soap into their food.
Unfortunately, the bars aren’t actually for sale.
But you can purchase a virtual version online for £15 – the average cost of soap per year – with all proceeds going to the charity.
If you want to lather up yourself with a British staple, however, you’ll need to open a tin of the real stuff – and we wouldn’t recommend it.
Part of the campaign is to stop VAT being added to items such as soap, because access to basic hygiene essentials is a “human right, not a privilege”.
Removing this tax addition could help lower-income families.
Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank, said: “Soap is a necessity, not a luxury.
“It’s absurd that in the UK, a nation that has already scrapped VAT on period products, we still tax essential hygiene products like soap at 20%.”
The charity and Goodwash are calling on the Government to reclassify soap as an essential item, deeming it VAT-free.
Currently, items such as lobster, gold bars and art aren’t subject to the additional tax.
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