Why Food trucks and restaurants are increasingly switching to Tallow for a scrumptious culinary experience

The decline of tallow (rendered animal fat) and its replacement by grain-based vegetable oils (like soybean, corn, and canola) was driven by a complex mix of industry, politics, health trends, and economics — not just science. Here's a breakdown of the key reasons tallow was discouraged and replaced:

1. The Rise of the “Cholesterol Scare” (1950s–1980s)

• Tallow is high in saturated fat, which became the target of health campaigns starting in the mid-20th century.

• Influenced by researchers like Ancel Keys, the U.S. government and media promoted the idea that saturated fats cause heart disease.

• This led to a shift toward polyunsaturated fats from grains, like corn oil and soybean oil — believed to be “heart healthy.”

Today, these claims are being re-examined, and many studies suggest saturated fats (like in tallow) are not as harmful as once believed — especially in the absence of refined carbs.

The “cholesterol scare” is one of the most pivotal—and controversial—chapters in modern nutrition science. Here’s a detailed, evidence-based breakdown of how it started, what went wrong, and how the science has evolved and reversed in recent years.

🧪 Origins of the Cholesterol Scare (1950s–1980s)

🧠 Key Figure: Ancel Keys

• In the 1950s, American physiologist Ancel Keys developed the Diet-Heart Hypothesis:

  Eating saturated fats → raises cholesterol → causes heart disease.

• His famous "Seven Countries Study" (1958–1970) showed a correlation between saturated fat intake and heart disease in some countries.

❗ Issue: Keys cherry-picked data. His study excluded countries where high-fat diets correlated with low heart disease, like France or Germany.

🏛️ U.S. Government Endorsement (1977–1980s)

• In 1977, the U.S. Senate released the Dietary Goals for the United States (aka the McGovern Report (Read Original Scanned Document), urging Americans to:

  • Cut back on fat and cholesterol.

  • Increase carbohydrates and grains.

   

•  

• This led to the 1980 USDA Dietary Guidelines, which:

  • Recommended low-fat, high-carb diets.

  • Encouraged vegetable oils over animal fats (like butter or tallow).

  • Vilified cholesterol-rich foods like eggs, red meat, and full-fat dairy.

🧠 Outcome: Cholesterol became a public enemy, and saturated fat was blamed for the heart disease epidemic. 

However, there are many other researchers who published paper countering these, but again, self fulfilling prophecy or the human instinct of survival based hyper premedatatior malorum (Latin: premeditaing what could go wrong). Here's an example that debunks this polorized perspective -- Do trans fatty acids increase the risk of coronary artery disease? A critique of the epidemiologic evidence 

📉 Consequences of the Low-Fat Era

• Food companies responded by creating:

  • Low-fat, high-sugar processed foods

  • Hydrogenated oils (trans fats) to replace butter and tallow

• Heart disease didn’t go down. In fact:

  • Obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome skyrocketed.

  • Chronic illness increased even as fat intake dropped.

🔁 Scientific Reversal: 2000s–2020s

Over the past 20 years, many major studies have challenged or reversed the original cholesterol-heart disease hypothesis.

🧾 Key Studies That Disproved the Cholesterol Myth:

1. Framingham Heart Study (Reanalysis)

   • Original long-term study. Later reviews found total cholesterol wasn't strongly predictive of heart disease in many subgroups.

2. Women’s Health Initiative (2006)

   • Showed that low-fat diets didn’t reduce heart disease risk in postmenopausal women.

3. Cochrane Review (2011, updated 2020)

   • Meta-analysis showed that reducing saturated fat had no significant effect on total mortality or cardiovascular deaths.

4. PURE Study (2017, The Lancet)

   • A global study across 18 countries found:

     • Higher fat intake (including saturated fat) was associated with lower mortality.

     • High carb diets were more strongly linked to increased risk.

🧠 What We Know Now:

✅ Saturated Fat:

• Not strongly linked to heart disease.

• Found in traditional, whole foods like butter, tallow, and meat.

• May even raise HDL (good) cholesterol and support hormone production.

❌ Trans Fats:

• Now banned in many countries due to clear links to heart disease.

❗ Cholesterol Itself:

• Your body makes most of your cholesterol.

• Dietary cholesterol has little effect on blood cholesterol in most people.

• The 2015–2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines removed the upper limit on cholesterol intake.

🧩 Summary Table

Final Thought:

The cholesterol scare was based on flawed early research, politicized policy, and industry-driven food reformulation. Today, many scientists and health professionals recognize that:

• Whole foods, including those high in natural fats, can be part of a healthy diet.

• It’s the ultra-processed carbs, seed oils, and sugar-laden "low-fat" foods that do the most damage.

2. Industrial and Economic Pressure

• Grain oils (soy, corn, canola) were cheaper to produce at scale thanks to:

  • Agricultural subsidies in the U.S. (especially for corn and soy)

  • Large-scale mechanized farming

• Big Ag and Big Food heavily promoted vegetable oils as modern, clean, and cheap alternatives to animal fats.'

• Tallow became a byproduct — not a priority. Meanwhile, grain oils became cash crops backed by policy and profit.

3. Shift in Consumer Preferences and Marketing

• By the 1980s–1990s, plant-based = healthier became a popular belief.

• Tallow and lard were seen as:

  • “Greasy”

  • “Old-fashioned”

  • “Unhealthy”

• Vegetable oils were marketed as:

  • “Light”

  • “Heart-friendly”

  • “Modern”

 Even fast-food giants like McDonald’s switched from beef tallow to vegetable oil in the 1990s, under pressure from health groups — despite a decline in flavor and possibly nutrition.

 4. Trans Fats and Hydrogenation (the irony)

• Ironically, to make vegetable oils shelf-stable and solid like tallow, they were hydrogenated, creating trans fats — now known to be more harmful than natural saturated fats.

• Tallow, in contrast, is stable at high temperatures, doesn’t oxidize as easily, and has no trans fats when unprocessed.

 5. Cultural and Ethical Shifts

• The rise of vegetarian and vegan movements made animal-based fats like tallow less popular.

• Ethical concerns about animal farming added to the shift toward plant-derived fats.

The Comeback: Tallow Today

Today, tallow is making a comeback in niche and health-conscious communities:

• Used in natural skincare, traditional cooking, nose-to-tail nutrition

• Valued for its nutrient density (vitamins A, D, K2) and stability in cooking

• Regarded as a clean ancestral fat by paleo, keto, and carnivore diets

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So who’s using beef tallow again, especially in the health, fitness, cooking, and skincare worlds, with authoritative sources and community insights:

1. Restaurant & Culinary Revival

• Steak n Shake (fast-food chain) recently switched its fries, onion rings, and chicken tenders to 100% beef tallow frying oil, under the influence of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advocating for its health benefits nypost.com+15investopedia.com+15reddit.com+15.

• Other chains like Popeyes, Outback Steakhouse, and Buffalo Wild Wings are also transitioning away from seed oils in favor of beef tallow houstonchronicle.com+2investopedia.com+2wsj.com+2.

• Chefs and upscale restaurants (e.g., in Portland, Chicago) are embracing tallow for confit cooking, high-smoke frying, and rich flavour profiles bonappetit.com.

2. Health & Wellness Advocates

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in his "Make Frying Oil Tallow Again" campaign, has sparked renewed interest in tallow as a purportedly healthier cooking fat than polyunsaturated oils reddit.com+14investopedia.com+14gq.com+14.

• Wellness influencers and nutrition subcultures—especially paleo, ancestral, and carnivore diet enthusiasts—actively promote beef tallow for its high smoke point, nutrient content, and satiating fats thetallowlife.com+1menshealth.com+1.

3. Skincare & Beauty Users

• TikTok and Instagram influencers often feature beef tallow as a skin moisturizer, citing its vitamin-rich fatty acids and skin-barrier benefits reddit.com+5womenshealthmag.com+5reddit.com+5.

• Reddit skincare communities share numerous stories:

  “My skin has never felt softer or more supple… acne has almost gone away completely.”

   gq.com+10reddit.com+10houstonchronicle.com+10reddit.com+1reddit.com+1

  “For the first time in almost 20 years I am going to bed without picking my pores.” reddit.com

  Many users reported clearing eczema, smoother complexion, and fewer breakouts after switching from conventional products reddit.com+1reddit.com+1.

4. Market Trends & Consumer Behavior

• Use of tallow in menus grew by 40% from late 2023 to late 2024; projections suggest tallow will appear on ~8% of restaurant menus within four years womenshealthmag.com+13investopedia.com+13nypost.com+13.

• Sales of tallow-based skincare have surged by 134–400% year-over-year, indicating strong consumer demand thetallowlife.com.

Here are more public figures, experts, and influencers who’ve confidently recommended beef tallow—especially for cooking, skincare, and wellness:

1. Nina Teicholz

• Author of The Big Fat Surprise, she champions saturated fats (including tallow) and critiques anti-fat dietary guidelines nypost.com+15mmr-research.com+15betches.com+15en.wikipedia.org.

• As head of the Nutrition Coalition, she promotes “eat butter, drink milk whole… bacon” as part of a healthy diet en.wikipedia.org.

 2. Paul Saladino, MD

• Prominent carnivore-diet advocate known for The Carnivore Code.

• Promotes whole-animal nutrition, including tallow, for both internal and topical use en.wikipedia.org+1reddit.com+1.

3. Beauty & Skincare Influencers

• Nara Smith (“Tradwife” influencer) went viral for DIY tallow + beeswax moisturizer, praising its primal, minimalistic skincare benefits verywellhealth.com+15mmr-research.com+15vogue.com+15.

• Hannah Bronfman and other “BeautyTok” creators promote tallow for glowing skin, boosting natural oils and hydration glamour.com.

 4. TikTok Skincare Community & DIY Enthusiasts

• Various creators like @thrivewithcandice (23K followers, 7.3M views) tout tallow’s vitamin-rich, skin-barrier support healthnewscentral.com+1reddit.com+1.

• Others recommend brands such as Milk & Honey Tallow and Sun and Moo in skincare circles fortune.com+15reddit.com+15perthnow.com.au+15.

5. Wellness Publications & Experts

• Media outlets like Fortune Well highlight how RFK Jr. and beauty influencers promote tallow—while scientists note the lack of clinical proof perthnow.com.au+4fortune.com+4verywellhealth.com+4.

• Dermatologists in Vogue, PerthNow, and GQ acknowledge moisturizing effects while warning about safety and comedogenic potential perthnow.com.au.

6. Reddit Reviews (User Testimonials)

Here are a few candid Reddit excerpts:

“My skin feels healthier, and I don’t have to worry about slathering on chemicals every day.” reddit.com

“I have closed comedones… after a few days… I’m literally glowing now.” reddit.com

“There’s a company called Sun and Moo that’s good tallow for using on skin… fatworks is a really good brand” reddit.com