Beef Fat

Meat plants send cattle trimmings and other unused tissues to renderers. Heating releases fat from the solids, creating a usable ingredient from material left after meat production. Separation removes water and particles before the fat reaches pet food plants.^7,8,9

1. 01 // Source Cattle tissues Fatty trimmings and other cattle tissues remain after cuts for the meat market are taken.
2. 02 // Process Chopped and heated Rendering breaks up and heats the tissue, releasing fat from water and protein solids.
3. 03 // Process Fat separated Pressing or centrifugation draws melted fat away from the solids, which enter another rendered product stream.
4. 04 // Process Clarified Further separation removes remaining water and fine particles before the fat goes into storage.
5. 05 // Output Rendered beef fat The separated fat reaches pet food plants for mixing into recipes or spraying onto dried kibble.

1. 01

   Raises calorie density

   Fat adds energy with little bulk. A 10-dog study tested tallow and soybean oil each mixed into the diet at 6.5% and 13%, and dogs did not cut intake on the most energy-dense diets, an effect most marked in the 13% tallow group.^1,5

2. 02

   Coats dry kibble

   Manufacturers spray warmed fat onto dried pieces to add energy and flavor. A preference test found that coating with beef tallow did not make it the favorite fat tested.²

3. 03

   Uses meat plant leftovers

   Rendering gives cattle fat left after meat production a market as a pet food ingredient. Its value comes from recovering usable fat from the remaining tissue.^8,9

4. 04

   Supplies some linoleic acid

   Beef fat contains linoleic acid, but much less than many plant oils. Formulators must consider the whole recipe to meet a dog's essential fatty acid needs.^5,6

How much Dog studies tested beef tallow mixed into the diet at 6.5% and 13%, and separately as a 5% fat coating sprayed onto kibble.^1,2

1. Brands say

   Beef fat gives dogs concentrated energy

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Tallow is nearly all fat, at about 9,380 kcal gross energy per kg. In a 10-dog study, dogs did not regulate their intake on the higher tallow diets and took in more energy. It supplies calories, not protein.^1,5

2. Brands say

   Beef fat makes kibble taste better

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In paired preference tests with 30 dogs comparing three fats each coated onto kibble at 5%, beef tallow was eaten least, with a 44% preference rate against sunflower oil's 56%. No uncoated control was tested, so no study shows beef fat improves on plain kibble.²

3. Brands say

   Beef fat gives dogs a shinier coat

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A 9-week Waltham-authored trial improved coat measures with added zinc plus linoleic acid, not beef fat. Tallow averages 2.8% linoleic acid. That trial does not show that beef fat makes coats shine.^4,5

4. Owners say

   Beef fat causes pancreatitis

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   An 8-Beagle trial fed diets with 32 to 47% fat using canola oil and found no pancreatic lipase change. It tested neither beef fat nor vulnerable dogs. Dogs being treated for pancreatitis still need low fat food.^3,10