By John Hand –
In 1990, McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King changed the oil they use for French fries from beef tallow to vegetable oil. No less an institution than The New York Times stepped in to hail the decision.
“It was just one more sign that fast food chains have learned a lesson: to survive in today’s health-conscious society, they must provide more nutritious alternatives to double cheeseburgers and fried chicken,” the newspaper reported at the time.
The Times wasn’t the only one supporting the move. The decision by these fast food restaurants to move away from beef tallow was widely heralded as a positive, healthy decision. Fast forward 35 years and things are changing again. Beef tallow is making a comeback, as, believe it or not, a healthy alternative to seed oils. Recently, Steak ‘n Shake announced its restaurants would move away from seed oils and only use beef tallow.
What is particularly curious is that while the market may be swinging back to beef tallow, the science and health risks initially associated with it have not changed. Beyond this, no matter what a French fry is fried in, this delicious staple is still unhealthy.
Despite its newfound support, most people are probably unsure what makes up beef tallow. In short, it is made by removing, simmering and clarifying fatty tissue from cows. But not all beef tallow is created equal. The quality of any type reflects the quality of what the cow was fed. For example, a cow that was grass-fed will produce a higher quality tallow than a cow that was grain-fed. Either way, the tallow is high in saturated fat and the American Heart Association advises keeping it at a safe distance because it is linked to heart disease.
The association recommends that less than 6 percent of a person’s total caloric intake should come from saturated fats. In a diet that involves 2,000 daily calories, only 120 of those calories should be saturated fat, which equates to about one tablespoon of beef tallow.
Beef tallow proponents counter this concern by pointing to its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids (when the cow is grass-fed) as a health benefit because they are linked to a reduction in inflammation. Other commonly purported health benefits include the notion that it contains vitamins D, E and K. Science, however, doesn’t back these claims about these vitamins.
Furthermore, supporting the push to consume less saturated fat, a recent study found that replacing butter, a more highly saturated fat, with plant-based oils had substantial health benefits and decreased mortality rates.
Another problem for beef tallow rooters is that if it contains anything worthwhile, it’s in limited amounts.
“Anything beneficial in beef tallow is in trace amounts,” noted a report by registered dietitian Michelle Dodd issued by the Cleveland Clinic. “It’s not enough to make a difference.”
She wasn’t alone in her concerns.
“I’ve gone through these papers and there’s not a single shred of evidence that this is actually true. This is all theoretical,” Dr. Wallet Willet, a Harvard University professor, told The Times, referring to studies about the benefits of consuming high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
Seed oils, which contain unsaturated fat, also raise concerns with some because they are extracted from seeds with chemicals. One of these chemicals is hexane. However, the Environmental Protection Agency only warns against high levels of exposure to hexane, which should only be a concern for people who deal with it daily.
Ultimately, there is no denying that anything fried tends to taste delicious. Using beef tallow only enhances the taste of food. Unfortunately, fried food is unhealthy and beef tallow only exaggerates the problem.
