Everything old is new again, or so the expression goes. And that’s true in spades for one hugely influential segment of the population that, truth to tell, probably doesn’t remember the old days.
A new survey from Coast Packing Company and Ipsos Research reveals that attitudes about animal fats in the American diet have changed — and millennials are leading the way. The poll indicates that younger Americans are even more receptive to including animal fats in their diet than they were in a survey conducted a year ago (and are eating accordingly).
Millennials – those ages 18 to 34 -- are not alone: overall, 13 percent of all survey respondents are open to animal fats, up from 9 percent in 2015, and 9 percent say their consumption has increased, compared with 6 percent last year.
Among millennials, attitudes have changed significantly. In this year’s study, 24 percent say they are receptive to animal fats, a marked increase over the 15 percent who held that position last year. In terms of what members of the youngest demographic are actually eating, it’s a similar story: 20 percent of millennials report having increased their intake of animal fats – a hefty jump over 2015, when that figure stood at 13 percent.
As in the original baseline study – conducted in November 2015 – this new survey of 1,000 adults examined how attitudes about animal fats in the American diet have changed in recent years, and how consumption patterns may be changing as well. Respondents were asked whether they were more or less open to animal fats, and whether those views extended to actual behavior.
According to the survey, those in the 18-34 age bracket are still twice as open to animal fats as the next oldest group (35-54) – 24 percent to 12 percent – but the numbers have increased for both groups. Millennials are eight times as open as those 55 and over (3 percent). Behavior does indeed follow attitudes: by a wide margin, those 18-34 continue to lead the charge back to animal fats. Fully 20 percent say their consumption has increased – dramatically higher than those 35-54 (9 percent) and those 55+ (1 percent). Thirty-two percent of those 18-34 say they have reduced their intake of animal fats, vs. 35 percent of those 35-54 and 51 percent of those 55+.
“Trans fats are out, and minimally processed animal fats – in the form of lard, derived from pork, and beef tallow – are decidedly making a comeback,” says Eric R. Gustafson, CEO of Coast Packing, the number one supplier of animal fat shortenings in the Western United States. “Millennials are wisely concluding that animal fats have been demonized for too long. The reality is that animal fats, in moderation, are actually good for you, and the replacements for them are far worse than originally thought. And with Hispanic cooking enjoying a deserved renaissance, from taco trucks to haute cuisine, taste is increasingly on par with health concerns.”
While consumers are generally familiar with lard – especially VIVA®, Coast’s premium branded lard – people tend to be less familiar with beef tallow. As it’s often said, beef tallow is to beef what lard is to pork. And nothing is better – or tastes better -- for heavy duty frying.
The natural makeup of beef tallow promotes health. Beef tallow does not contain the artificial trans fats found in hydrogenated shortenings. It’s naturally stable and solid at room temperature. When heated, it does not release free radicals, which have been linked to cancer, as vegetable oils do. And it’s minimally processed – virtually nothing is added, there are no harmful chemical byproducts as a result of processing, and what’s already there (plenty of monounsaturates) is good for you. Aside from the unbeatable flavor, animal fats provide optimum nutrition for healthy growth and reproduction, and they help the body absorb important nutrients.
Perhaps that’s why millennials are now voting with their taste buds.