# Tallow

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tallow
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tallow.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallow
> Source revision: 1354226255
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Rendered form of beef or mutton fat

For other uses, see [Tallow (disambiguation)](/source/Tallow_(disambiguation)).

Tallow made by [rendering](/source/Rendering_(animal_products)) calf [suet](/source/Suet)

**Tallow** is a [rendered](/source/Rendering_(industrial)) form of [beef](/source/Beef), [pork](/source/Pork), [mutton](/source/Mutton) [suet](/source/Suet), primarily made up of [triglycerides](/source/Triglyceride).

In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton suet. In this context, tallow is [animal fat](/source/Animal_fat) that conforms to certain technical criteria, including its [melting point](/source/Melting_point).

Tallow consists mainly of triglycerides (fat), whose major constituents are derived from [stearic](/source/Stearic_acid) and [oleic acids](/source/Oleic_acid).

The solid material remaining after rendering is called [cracklings](/source/Cracklings), greaves, or graves.[1] It has been used mostly for [animal food](/source/Animal_feed), such as [dog food](/source/Dog_food#History).[2][3]

In the soap industry and among soap-making [hobbyists](/source/Hobby), the name **tallowate** is used informally to refer to soaps made from tallow. This name comes from the chemical suffix "-ate" which signifies a negatively charged ion. [Sodium tallowate](/source/Soap), for example, is obtained by reacting tallow with [sodium hydroxide](/source/Sodium_hydroxide) (lye, caustic soda) or [sodium carbonate](/source/Sodium_carbonate) (washing soda). It consists chiefly of a variable mixture of sodium [salts](/source/Salt_(chemistry)) of [fatty acids](/source/Fatty_acid), such as [oleic](/source/Oleic_acid) and [palmitic](/source/Palmitic_acid).[4]

Dripping is the British term for [beef fat](/source/Beef_fat) that has been [rendered](/source/Rendering_(animal_products));[5] it can be used to make [Cornish Pasties](/source/Cornish_Pasty).[6]

## Composition

Beef tallow Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Energy 902 kcal (3,770 kJ) Carbohydrates 0 g Fat 100 g Saturated 50 g Monounsaturated 42 g Polyunsaturated 4 g Protein 0 g Other constituents Quantity Water 0 g Cholesterol 109 mg Link to USDA FoodData Central entry †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults.[7]

Beef tallow is 100% [fat](/source/Fat), 50% of which is [saturated fat](/source/Saturated_fat), 42% as [monounsaturated fat](/source/Monounsaturated_fat), and 4% as [polyunsaturated fat](/source/Polyunsaturated_fat) (table). It contains no water, [protein](/source/Protein_(nutrient)) or [carbohydrates](/source/Carbohydrate). In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), it supplies 902 [calories](/source/Calorie) of [food energy](/source/Food_energy) and 109 mg of [cholesterol](/source/Cholesterol) (table).

Palmitic acid and stearic acid are the main saturated fatty acids, while oleic acid is the principal monounsaturated fatty acid; it has a low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (4% of total; details below and in table source).

The fatty acid components of beef tallow are:

- Saturated fatty acids: - [Palmitic acid](/source/Palmitic_acid) (C16:0): 25% - [Stearic acid](/source/Stearic_acid) (C18:0): 19% - [Myristic acid](/source/Myristic_acid) (C14:0): 4% - [Lauric acid](/source/Lauric_acid) (C12:0): 1%

- Monounsaturated fatty acids: - [Oleic acid](/source/Oleic_acid) (C18-1, ω-9): 36% - [Palmitoleic acid](/source/Palmitoleic_acid) (C16:1): 4% - [Eicosenoic acid](/source/Eicosenoic_acid) (C20:1): 1%

- Polyunsaturated fatty acids: - [Linoleic acid](/source/Linoleic_acid): 3% - [Linolenic acid](/source/%CE%91-Linolenic_acid): 1%

## Uses

An 1883 ad soliciting tallow from butchers and graziers for soap production in the [Hawaii](/source/Kingdom_of_Hawaii) newspaper *The Daily Bulletin*

Tallow is used mainly in producing [soap](/source/Soap) and animal feed.[8]

### Food

A significant use of tallow is for the production of [shortening](/source/Shortening). It is also one of the main ingredients of the [Native American](/source/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas) food [pemmican](/source/Pemmican). With a [smoke point](/source/Smoke_point) of 480 °F (249 °C), tallow is traditionally used in [deep frying](/source/Deep_frying) and was preferred for this use until the rise in popularity of plant oils for frying. Before switching to vegetable oil with beef flavoring in 1990,[9] [McDonald's](/source/McDonald's) cooked its [French fries](/source/McDonald's_french_fries) in a mixture of 93% beef tallow and 7% [cottonseed oil](/source/Cottonseed_oil).[10] According to a 1985 article in *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, tallow was also used for frying at [Burger King](/source/Burger_King), [Wendy's](/source/Wendy's), [Hardee's](/source/Hardee's), [Arby's](/source/Arby's), [Dairy Queen](/source/Dairy_Queen), [Popeyes](/source/Popeyes), and [Bob's Big Boy](/source/Bob's_Big_Boy).[11]

In the 2020s, influencers and [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.](/source/Robert_F._Kennedy_Jr.)—leader of the [Make America Healthy Again](/source/Make_America_Healthy_Again) (MAHA) movement—began to make unscientific claims[12] about the [negative health effects of seed oils](/source/Seed_oil_misinformation) and presumed health benefits of tallow over these oils.[13][14] Kennedy has called upon Americans to "Make Frying Oil Tallow Again".[15]

#### Greaves

Main article: [Cracklings](/source/Cracklings)

Greaves (also *graves*) are similar to [cracklings](/source/Cracklings) but not identical. They are the fibrous matter remaining from rendering of fat tissue, without the skin.[1] They are used in some dishes, and they are also pressed into cakes and used for [animal feed](/source/Animal_feed), especially for dogs and pigs, or as [fish bait](/source/Fishing_bait).[16] In the past, the practice has been both favoured and shunned in [dog food](/source/Dog_food#History).[2][3]

### Fuel

#### Biodiesel

Tallow can be used for the production of [biodiesel](/source/Biodiesel) in much the same way as oils from plants are currently used.[17]

#### Aviation fuel

The [United States Air Force](/source/United_States_Air_Force) has experimented successfully with the use of beef tallow in [aviation biofuels](/source/Aviation_biofuel). During five days of flight testing from August 23 to 27, 2010, at [Edwards Air Force Base](/source/Edwards_Air_Force_Base), [California](/source/California), a U.S. Air Force [C-17 Globemaster III](/source/C-17_Globemaster_III) flew using [JP-8](/source/JP-8) conventional [jet fuel](/source/Jet_fuel) in three of its engines and a 50/50 blend of JP-8 and HRJ [biofuel](/source/Biofuel) made from beef tallow in one engine on August 23, followed by a flight with the same 50/50 blend in all four engines on August 24. On August 27, it flew using a blend of 50% JP-8, 25% HRJ, and 25% [coal](/source/Coal)-based fuel made through the [Fischer–Tropsch process](/source/Fischer%E2%80%93Tropsch_process), becoming the first [United States Department of Defense](/source/United_States_Department_of_Defense) aircraft to fly on such a blend and the first aircraft to operate from Edwards using a fuel derived from beef tallow.[18]

### Printing

Tallow also has a use in printmaking, where it is combined with [bitumen](/source/Bitumen) and applied to metal print plates to resist acid etching.

The use of trace amounts of tallow as an additive to the substrate used in [polymer banknotes](/source/Polymer_banknotes) came to light in November 2016. Notes issued in 24 countries, including Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, were found to be affected, leading to objections from vegans and members of some religious communities.[19][20]

### Candles

A tallow candle

Tallow was once widely used to make molded [candles](/source/Candle) before more convenient [wax](/source/Wax) varieties became available and, for some time, they continued to be a cheaper alternative. For those too poor even to avail themselves of homemade, molded tallow candles, the "tallow dip," a reed that had been dipped in melted tallow or sometimes a strip of burning cloth in a saucer/cresset of tallow grease, was an accessible substitute. Such a candle was often simply called a "dip" or, because of its low cost, a "farthing dip"[21] or "penny dip".[22]

### Lubrication

Early in the development of steam-driven piston engines, the hot vapors and liquids washed away most lubricants very quickly. It was soon found that tallow was quite resistant to this washing. Tallow and compounds including tallow were widely used to lubricate locomotive and steamship engines at least until the 1950s. (During World War II, the vast fleets of steam-powered ships exhausted the supply, leading to the large-scale planting of [rapeseed](/source/Rapeseed) because rapeseed oil also resisted the washing effect.) Tallow is still used in the [steel](/source/Steel) rolling industry to provide the required lubrication as the sheet steel is compressed through the [steel rollers](/source/Steel_rollers).

Another industrial use is as a lubricant for certain types of light engineering work, such as cutting threads on electrical conduit. Specialist cutting compounds are available, but tallow is a traditional lubricant that is easily available for cheap and infrequent use.

The use of tallow or lard to lubricate rifles was the spark that started the [Indian Mutiny of 1857](/source/Indian_Mutiny_of_1857). To load the new [Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle](/source/Pattern_1853_Enfield_Rifle), the [sepoys](/source/Sepoy) had to bite the cartridge open. It was believed that the paper cartridges that were standard issue with the rifle were greased with lard (pork fat), which was regarded as [unclean by Muslims](/source/Najis), or tallow (cow fat), which is incompatible with [Hindu dietary laws](/source/Diet_in_Hinduism). Tallow, along with [beeswax](/source/Beeswax), was also used in the lubricant for American Civil War ammunition used in the [Springfield rifled musket](/source/Springfield_musket). A combination of mutton tallow, [paraffin wax](/source/Paraffin_wax), and beeswax is still used as a patch or projectile lubricant in present-day black powder arms.

Tallow is used to make a biodegradable motor oil.[23]

Tallow is also used in traditional [bell foundry](/source/Bell_foundry), as a separation for the false bell when [casting](/source/Casting).[24]

### Industrial

Tallow can be used as [flux](/source/Flux_(metallurgy)) for [soldering](/source/Soldering) lead.[25]

### Textiles

Mutton tallow is widely used as a starch, lubricant, and softener in textile manufacturing. Pretreatment processes in textiles include a process called [sizing](/source/Sizing). In sizing, a chemical is necessary to provide the required strength to yarns mounted on the loom. Mutton tallow provides required strength and lubrication to the yarns.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## See also

- [Suet](/source/Suet)

- [Dripping](/source/Dripping)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-tyson_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-tyson_1-1) ["Greaves: a high-protein solid which is left following the extraction of tallow from animal by-products during the rendering process"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190622222019/https://www.tysoningredientsolutions.com/). Archived from [the original](https://www.tysonanimalnutrition.com/premium-products/all-about-rendering) on 2019-06-22. Retrieved 2018-10-28.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-boyard_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-boyard_2-1) [Nicolas Jean Baptiste Boyard,*Manuel du bouvier et zoophile: ou l'art d'élever de soigner les animaux* 1844, 327](https://books.google.com/books?id=ODpFAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA552&num=100&q=intitle%3A%22animaux%20domestiques%22%20chat)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-sports_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-sports_3-1) ["The Sportsman's Dictionary; Or, The Gentleman's Companion: for Town and Country"](https://books.google.com/books?id=x-oDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PT158). G. G. J. and J. Robinson. December 6, 1785 – via Google Books.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-wint2007_4-0)** Ruth Winter (2007): *A Consumerýs Dictionary of Household, Yard and Office Chemicals: Complete Information About Harmful and Desirable Chemicals Found in Everyday Home Products, Yard Poisons, and Office Polluters*. 364 pages. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781462065783](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781462065783)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2020-01-23_Green_Pasture_Farms_5-0)** Simon (January 23, 2020). ["Tallow, Dripping, Suet – What's the difference? Know your Organic Beef Fats!"](https://greenpasturefarms.co.uk/tallow-dripping-suet-whats-the-difference/). [Green Pasture Farms](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Green_Pasture_Farms&action=edit&redlink=1). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20251110233749/https://greenpasturefarms.co.uk/tallow-dripping-suet-whats-the-difference/) from the original on 2025-11-10. Retrieved 2026-01-15. Do you know your tallow from your dripping? Your suet from your shortening? Here we explain the differences between all the different types of organic grass-fed beef fat that we have available on the website.[*[unreliable source?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reliable_sources)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2023-06-12_Leite's_Culinaria_6-0)** Leite, David (June 12, 2023). ["Cornish Pasties"](https://leitesculinaria.com/1681/recipes-cornish-pasties.html). *[Leite's Culinaria](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leite%27s_Culinaria&action=edit&redlink=1)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250807025718/https://leitesculinaria.com/1681/recipes-cornish-pasties.html) from the original on 2025-08-07. Retrieved 2026-01-15. These Cornish pasties are sturdy pastries filled with meat, such as beef, plus lots of vegetables, including potatoes, onions, and carrots. Kids love them.[*[unreliable source?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reliable_sources)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FDADailyValues_7-0)** [United States Food and Drug Administration](/source/Food_and_Drug_Administration) (2024). ["Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels"](https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels). *FDA*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240327175201/https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels) from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Ullmann_8-0)** Alfred Thomas (2002). "Fats and Fatty Oils". *Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry*. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/14356007.a10_173](https://doi.org/10.1002%2F14356007.a10_173). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [3527306730](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/3527306730).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Mcdonald's Turns To Vegetable Oil For French Fries"](https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/07/24/mcdonalds-turns-to-vegetable-oil-for-french-fries/). *chicagotribune.com*. July 24, 1990.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Schlosser, Eric (2001). *Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of All-American Meal*. Houghton Mifflin. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-395-97789-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-395-97789-4)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Irvin Molotsky (November 15, 1985). ["Risk Seen in Saturated Fats Used in Fast Foods"](https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/15/style/risk-seen-in-saturated-fats-used-in-fast-foods.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Scientists debunk claims of seed oil health risks"](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/scientists-debunk-seed-oil-health-risks/). *In the News*. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard University School of Public Health. June 22, 2022. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240516041351/https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/scientists-debunk-seed-oil-health-risks/) from the original on 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2024-07-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Aleccia, Jonel (March 7, 2025). ["Kennedy and influencers bash seed oils, baffling nutrition scientists"](https://apnews.com/article/seed-oil-beef-tallow-kennedy-4fdf0f30134277fd6dd20b4ede789295). *AP News*. Retrieved 2026-01-11.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Hopkins Legaspi, Caroline (March 20, 2025). ["Is Beef Tallow Good for You? Kennedy Thinks So, but Experts Disagree"](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/well/eat/beef-tallow-oil-health.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved 2026-01-11.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Blumberg, Perri Ormont. ["Is Beef Tallow Actually Good for You?"](http://web.archive.org/web/20250607215549/https://time.com/7268368/is-beef-tallow-healthy/). *TIME*. Archived from [the original](https://time.com/7268368/is-beef-tallow-healthy/) on 2025-06-07. Retrieved 2026-01-11.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** *[Oxford English Dictionary](/source/Oxford_English_Dictionary)*, [*s.v.*](https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/81128)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Thamsiriroj (2011). "The impact of the life cycle analysis methodology on whether biodiesel produced from residues can meet the EU sustainability criteria for biofuel facilities constructed after 2017", Renewable Energy, 36, 50-63.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["C-17 Conducts Flight Test With Biofuel - Aero-News Network"](http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=41e2d9de-4756-4810-9b82-6a5550dfa9a5). *www.aero-news.net*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Why there is processed cow in Canada's money. Hint: you can blame it on the polymer"](https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/theres-a-minute-amount-of-rendered-animal-fat-in-canadas-banknotes-bank-of-canada-confirms). *nationalpost.com*. November 30, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Petroff, Alanna (November 30, 2016). ["It's not just the U.K. These countries also have animal fat in their money"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161201131104/http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/30/news/animal-fat-money-notes-bills-cash-australia-canada/). *cnn.com*. Archived from [the original](https://money.cnn.com/2016/11/30/news/animal-fat-money-notes-bills-cash-australia-canada/) on 2016-12-01.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** [E. Cobham Brewer](/source/E._Cobham_Brewer) (2001). *Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable*. Wordsworth Editions. p. 342. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781840223101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781840223101).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** *The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1866*. Cambridge University Press. 2013. p. 153. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781108054904](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781108054904).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** Motavalli, Jim (February 5, 2009). ["Oil Goes 'Green,' with the Help of Some Cows"](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/automobiles/08BIO.html). *The New York Times*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** Forschungen, Institut für kunst-und musikhistorische (2002). ["Glockenguss"](https://www.musiklexikon.ac.at/ml/musik_G/Glockenguss.xml). *ISBN 978-3-7001-3043-7* (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** ["Tech Help-Flux"](https://web.archive.org/web/20250807123340/http://www.fantasyinglass.com/fantasyinglass.com/Tech_Help-Flux.html). *FantasyInGlass.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.fantasyinglass.com/fantasyinglass.com/Tech_Help-Flux.html) on 2025-08-07.

v t e Edible fats and oils Fats Pig fats Fatback Lardo Salo Lard Lardon Beef/Mutton fats Dripping Suet Tail fat Tallow Dairy fats Butter Clarified butter Ghee Manteiga-da-terra Niter kibbeh Smen Urfa butter Poultry fats Chicken fat Duck fat Goose fat Schmaltz Other animal fats Blubber Muktuk Whale oil Vegetable fats Borneo tallow Cocoa butter Coconut oil Mango butter Margarine Palm kernel oil Shea butter Vegetable shortening Oils Marine oils Cod liver oil Krill oil Seaweed oil Shark liver oil Vegetable oils (List) Fruit oils Avocado oil Olive oil Palm oil Nut oils Almond oil Argan oil Cashew oil Hazelnut oil Macadamia oil Marula oil Mongongo nut oil Pecan oil Pine nut oil Pistachio oil Walnut oil Seed oils Ambadi seed oil Apple seed oil Castor oil Corn oil Cottonseed oil Grape seed oil Hemp oil Linseed (flaxseed) oil Mustard oil Peanut oil Pequi oil Perilla oil Poppyseed oil Pumpkin seed oil Rapeseed (canola) oil Rice bran oil Safflower oil Sesame oil Soybean oil Sunflower oil Tea seed oil Watermelon seed oil See also Cooking oil Plant oil Essential oil

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tallow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallow) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallow?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.