Why Was Beef Tallow Banned? The Truth Behind the Controversy
For centuries, beef tallow has been the staple in cooking, cooking foods on the stove, or adding it to make a delicious, flavorful dish.
But its place in the American kitchen has deteriorated greatly over the years.
Why was beef tallow banned?
This shift is a result of many things, including concerns about health, cultural change, and changes to the standards in the food industry.
In this article, we delve into the historical context of beef tallow, its health implications, and why it ultimately became a contentious ingredient to be avoided by many people, including world-famous fast food chains such as McDonald's.
America Stopped Cooking With Tallow for a Reason
In America, beef tallow was once the fat of choice when it came to cooking.
Commonly, it was used for frying foods, especially French fries, and was greatly praised for its richer flavor and the ability to stand up to high cooking temperatures.
In the early 20th century, beef tallow was a necessity in the cook's kitchen, whether at home or as part of the commercial establishment.
But its slide started when people began worrying about the health risks of animal fats.
Saturated fats started to be warned against by health experts, who linked them to an increased risk of heart disease (1).
From the 1950s came a huge change in dietary guidelines, low-fat diets, and the replacement of fat with vegetable oils.
Fats had their public perception shaped by government agencies, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Plant oils were promoted as a healthier alternative to animal fats, and oils were encouraged to be used instead of animal fats because oils derived from plants were assumed to be safer and less likely to cause cardiovascular disease.
The health concern was not the only reason for this movement away from animal fats—it was also, in part, a cultural thing.
The health-conscious America became, the more obese we were becoming, and the more attention the obesity epidemic was receiving, there was a rise in removing "unhealthy" fats from everyday diets.
As a result, the use of vegetable oils, margarine, and other synthetic fats spread, which were perceived as better for both health and taste.
Thus, beef tallow was no longer used in household and commercial kitchens, as oils were deemed 'heart-healthy' by the food industry and regulatory bodies.
Is Beef Tallow Good for You? Kennedy Thinks So, but Experts Disagree
The beef tallow debate about health is not closed.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others who advocate traditional fats maintain that beef tallow is a healthy part of the diet.
A figure in the struggle against corporate influence in food, Kennedy has said that natural fat, such as tallow, is much better than processed oils.
He stresses that our ancestors lived off of animal fat, which was an important nutrient in a healthy diet for generations.
There are health experts, however, who take issue with that.
On the other hand, many nutritionists and doctors still express concerns about the high saturated fat content in beef tallow.
Many health professionals recommend replacing beef tallow with plant-based oils such as olive oil or avocado oil, because some studies have attributed saturated fats to increased heart disease, obesity, and other chronic conditions (2).
Others are even looking at saturated fats again, after new research has been thrown into the mix that has called long-standing notions of their danger into question (3).
Specifically, some researchers assert that not all saturated fats are the same and that the type of fat also makes a difference.
Especially from grass-fed cows, the tallow has a greater proportion of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to heart and brain health (4).
Furthermore, the tallow fats may not be as harmful to health as the highly processed fats in many commercial cooking oils.
The debate continues, and more and more people are going back to traditional animal fats in the context of diets such as Paleo and Keto, where high fat is encouraged.
For these diets, nutrient-dense, whole foods are emphasized, and beef tallow, as a source of fat that can be obtained from the diet, fits the bill as a source of energy and helps the body function normally.
The trend of using beef tender (fat) as skincare.
Not in the kitchen, but on the beauty aisle, beef tallow is back in vogue these days.
Being a viral trend on TikTok, beef tallow has gained a new audience in skincare.
Tallow is being used by people because it is moisturizing and skin-nourishing, especially for dry or sensitive skin.
Why is Beef Tallow Being Used for Skincare?
Beef tallow has a number of vitamins and nutrients that are good for the skin.
Vitamins A, D, E, and K make this food rich and essential to maintain healthy skin.
These vitamins take care of damaged skin, help to heal and prevent wrinkles.
Tallow also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can soothe irritated skin and, as such, is an ideal option for people with conditions like eczema or psoriasis.
Beef tallow is a natural fat that is thought to be easier for the skin to absorb than many of the synthetic ingredients, which may contain harsh chemicals or preservatives.
Meanwhile, TikTok users have taken up beef tallow as an inspiration for their own DIY skincare routine: applying balms, creams, even lip balms.
Tallow-based skincare appeals to people as it is pure and does not contain any artificial additives like mainstream skincare products.
Not everyone, however, believes slathering beef tallow all over the skin is a good idea.
There are some who are skeptical about using animal-derived products, and there are those who are suspicious about the ethical use of tallow from animals.
In addition, tallow has a pungent and distinctive smell that may turn off some users.
However, the trend has rekindled an interest in natural skincare products, and for most, the benefits of beef tallow outweigh the possible downsides.
Why Did McDonald's Stop Using Beef Tallow for Their Fries?
McDonald's stopping the use of beef tallow in their French fries is one of the most famous instances of the fast food industry's decline of beef tallow.
McDonald's fries, with their signature flavor, had been known for years to be fried in beef tallow.
In fact, McDonald's fries cooked in beef tallow were fondly remembered by many.
Why did McDonald's stop using beef tallow?
There were several reasons why the company made the switch to vegetable oil in the early 1990s, and health concerns were the main ones.
McDonald's was part of the broader trend in which consumers and government agencies increasingly pressured fast food companies to reduce the use of saturated fats in their products.
McDonald's was also worried about negative publicity and public backlash if it continued to use beef tallow in their fries.
The company was under fire at the time, with critics accusing their cooking processes of being a major contributor to the obesity epidemic.
In turn, the recipe was changed by McDonald's from a vegetable oil blend marketed as a healthier choice.
Yet, the decision was not free from criticism.
The change enraged many longtime customers, who disapproved of the new taste of the fries.
In truth, customers who believed they had been deceived about the health benefits of the new oil filed a class action lawsuit against McDonald's.
Why Did We Stop Using Beef Tallow in Cooking?
It wasn't an overnight thing about the beef tallow being replaced in cooking.
It had declined, however, over the years from a combination of health concerns, cultural trends, and industrial food practices.
The food industry was already mentioned that the push for healthier eating in the mid-20th century had a big impact on it.
The idea was promoted among health authorities that animal fats were bad for the heart and that processed oils were safer in this regard.
Further, the increase in fast food chains relying on cheap, mass-produced oils played a major role in the decline of the use of beef tallow.
For many restaurants and food companies, the switch from tallow to vegetable oils was financially advantageous because vegetable oils could be mass-produced at a cheaper rate than tallow.
Along with this, attitudes towards animal products started to change.
The global issue of factory farming and the environmental impact of animal agriculture grew, and many people deemed beef tallow to be an unethical and unsustainable product (5).
The widespread marketing of vegetable oils and these cultural changes ultimately caused tallow to fall out of the mainstream cooking world.
The Return of Beef Tallow: Is It Making a Comeback?
Beef tallow is back in vogue in some places, after falling out of favor.
It has become popular for many people to reevaluate the benefits of traditional animal fats like tallow due to the rise of Paleo and Keto, as well as other high-fat diets.
In fact, some nutritionists and culinary experts now view beef tallow as a healthy fat option.
Moreover, beef tallow has returned to public interest as the natural world becomes more and more popular in sustainable, whole foods.
There are those who are buying tallow from grass-fed cows as they think it is a more ethical and ecologically sound way to go than factory-farmed beef.
Tallow also has a reputation for being stable at high temperatures, making it a great ingredient to fry and cook with at high heat without breaking down into harmful compounds.
Beef tallow will never again be a staple in American kitchens, but it is on the rise again among those who want healthier, more natural fats for cooking and skin products.
Final Thoughts
Long ago, beef tallow was a common kitchen ingredient the world over, but in recent decades, the tallow's reputation has taken a hit due to health concerns and changing dietary trends.
Today, there is a revival of beef tails, and the reason is that natural fats are more popular, as well as sustainability and traditional cooking methods.
The question of whether beef tallow is healthy or not is debated, but there is no denying the benefits that come with using it.
So, as more and more people start to eat whole, unprocessed foods, beef tallow may once again be welcomed back into the modern kitchen.
No matter if it's for cooking with it or using it for your skin salve, what can't be ignored by this ancient fat is that it's for sure not just stashing it in the 'bank of unknowns'.
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FAQs for Why Was Beef Tallow Banned? The Truth Behind the Controversy
What led us to stop using beef tallow?
The change away from beef tallow came from health concerns about saturated fats and the promotion of vegetable oils, as well as changing cultural attitudes regarding animal fats.
Why did people begin to stop using beef tallow for skin?
There was a rise in synthetic skincare products and a decrease in the popularity of animal-derived fats in skincare because people started to use them.
Why did McDonald's stop using tallow?
Aware of the health concerns, the public pressure, and the media attention to saturated fats, McDonald's stopped using tallow.
Is beef tallow healthy?
The healthiness of beef tallow depends on the source of the beef. Health benefits are possible from grass-fed tallow, but conventional tallow may have a higher proportion of omega-6 fats.
Even today, does McDonald's still use beef tallow in fries?
McDonald's didn't use beef tallow in the 1990s, because by then it had switched to vegetable oils based on health issues and customers wanting lower-fat options.
Related Studies
1. Title: Heart disease: Consuming too much saturated fat may raise risk
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health research published in The BMJ found that high intake of saturated fats is linked to a 25% increased risk of coronary heart disease over a 24-28 year follow-up period, while replacing just 1% of these fats with healthier alternatives can reduce risk by up to 8%.
Link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314339
2. Title: Beef Tallow: Doctors Group Shares Consumer Health Alert Warning
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine warns that beef tallow is approximately 50% saturated fat, which raises cholesterol levels, increasing heart disease risk, and cites research showing both red and white meat raise LDL cholesterol equally compared to plant-based proteins.
Link: https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/beef-tallow-doctors-group-shares-consumer-health-alert-warning
3. Title: Fats, stress, death: Uncovering the toxic effects of saturated fatty acids on cells
Harvard T.H. Chan School research published in Molecular Cell identified numerous genes that influence how cells respond to saturated fatty acids, showing how these fats can lead to cell and tissue "lipotoxicity," a metabolic syndrome associated with various diseases, including diabetes and obesity.
Link: https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/fats-stress-death-uncovering-the-toxic-effects-of-saturated-fatty-acids-on-cells/
4. Title: Beef Tallow Consumption and Health
Research published in the Journal of Clinical Research and Applied Medicine found that grass-fed tallow contains higher levels of beneficial nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, and conjugated linoleic acids compared to grain-fed tallow, suggesting potential health benefits from this specific source.
Link: https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jcra/article/view/222030
5. Title: Dietary Fats, Human Nutrition and the Environment: Balance and Sustainability
A Frontiers in Nutrition review discusses how fat production impacts the environment, noting that soybean oil production contributes to deforestation in South America, while exploring alternative, sustainable sources like microbial and insect-derived fats that have lower environmental impacts.
Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.878644/full
