Tallow?

The subject of Tallow has been raised during the US elections, of all things, with the theory that the obesity epidemic can be traced back to when deep fryer oil was swapped across from Tallow to oil seed oils.
I can remember the dripping from the roast being kept in an ice cream bucket in the fridge, but oilseeds in the kitchen have also been the norm in my lifetime, so I needed to refresh my knowledge of what Tallow is.

Tallow is, simply put, rendered Beef Fat, not to be confused with Lard, which is rendered Pig Fat.

Tallow is used in a few areas, but, getting back to cooking, it was historically used in cooking due to its high smoke point, 200°C, and stability at high temperatures.

The adjustment from the traditional tallow product to oilseeds was a mixture of:

• Cost – oilseeds were often cheaper to grow and process than raising animals for fat.
• Health – By the mid-20th century, saturated fats like those in Tallow were linked to heart disease, leading to a shift in public perception. Vegetable oils, rich in unsaturated fats, were marketed as “heart-healthy” alternatives.

 

 

Before getting into Tallow vs seed oils, there is more to understand what you are trying to achieve as each oil has its characteristics, pluses, and minuses depending on the application.

Smoke Point

The temperature at which oil begins to smoke, degrade, and release harmful compounds.

• Low Smoke Point: Suitable for dressings, marinades, or low-heat cooking.
• High Smoke Point: Ideal for frying, roasting, and sautéing

Fat Composition

Cooking oils are made up of three main types of fats:

• Saturated fats: Stable at high heat but linked to higher cholesterol when consumed in excess.
• Monounsaturated fats: Heart-healthy and suitable for medium to high heat, such as olive and avocado oil.

Polyunsaturated fats such as sunflower and flaxseed are more sensitive to heat and prone to oxidation.

Flavour

• Neutral Flavours: Ideal for general-purpose cooking or recipes where you don’t want the oil to influence the taste, including canola oil and vegetable oil.
• Distinct Flavours: These are used for flavour enhancement in dishes or dressings, as well as sesame oil and walnut oil.

 

Nutritional Profile

Oils vary in nutritional value:

• Rich in Omega-3 or Omega-6: Flaxseed or walnut oil is beneficial for heart health.
• Vitamin Content: Some oils, like unrefined oils, contain vitamins A, D, E, or K.

Degree of Refinement

• Refined Oils: Undergo processing to remove impurities, giving them a higher smoke point and neutral flavour.
• Unrefined Oils: Minimally processed, retaining their flavour, colour, and nutrients, but with a lower smoke point, extra virgin olive oil.

Stability and Shelf Life

• Oils with high saturated fat content (e.g., coconut oil) are more stable and less prone to rancidity.
• Polyunsaturated oils (e.g., flaxseed oil) oxidise quickly and have shorter shelf lives, requiring refrigeration.

Another interesting point about the animal fats vs. oils seeds is that at room temperature, the animal fats are generally solidified, and the vegetable oils are usually liquid.

Understanding these characteristics helps in selecting the right oil for specific culinary needs and health considerations.

Returning to the question of whether oilseeds are good or bad for you, the question is too simplistic in that there are many seed oils, and each has its characteristics that influence its use in the kitchen

What is the argument?

Because seed oils and beef tallow have potential benefits for nutrition and high-heat cooking, is one superior to the other?

Choosing one over the other is nuanced and depends on a person’s lifestyle, behaviour, and environmental circumstances.

 

 

Beef tallow and seed oils like canola have similar calorie counts; however, beef tallow has more choline, vitamin D, cholesterol, and saturated fat, whereas seed oils have more vitamin E, vitamin K, and unsaturated
fatty acids but also contain omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential but can promote inflammation if consumed excessively compared to omega-3s.

Tallow is high in saturated fat – 6 grams of saturated fat per 1 tablespoon serving. By comparison, one tablespoon of canola oil contains just 1 gram of saturated fat.

These nutritional features may carry different weights depending on your health goals. People who frequently cook at high temperatures or want to reduce omega-6 intake might find Tallow useful, while those needing to limit saturated fats may do better with seed oil use or oils rich in monounsaturated fats.

Is this going to affect the canola price?

The new Trump government does not even get sworn in until January 20th 2025, and where this sits in the priority is anyone’s guess.

Will it have an effect on the canola price, the component that affects us the most? There are a lot of factors pushing around oil seed prices,

• 15% of production finding its way into the biodiesel market, nothing to do with human food consumption,
• Current trade skirmishes with Canada and China affect supply and demand dynamics and how much Canadian canola production needs to find its way to new markets.
• New potential trade skirmishes with Canada and now America, with recent tariffs of 25% being floated on all Canadian goods.
• The interchangeability of vegetable oil, canola oil, palm oil and even crude oil
• Crude oil prices generally, with wars and trade adding to price volatility.

Overall, will Tallow take over? It is another piece of the puzzle of demand and supply, but is this large enough to push prices around? Time will tell.

Conclusion

There are a few other elephants in the room in regard to the obesity epidemic, with processed foods, sugar/corn syrups and sedentary lifestyles, but the populist discussion lately has been that seed oils are
bad.

Moderation is Key: It will be interesting to observe if Tallow makes it back into my kitchen, but for most people, the occasional use of canola oil is unlikely to be harmful, especially if it’s part of a balanced diet.