Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton suet, primarily made up of triglycerides.
In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton suet. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain technical criteria, including its melting point. Commercial tallow commonly contains fat derived from other animals, such as lard from pigs, or even from plant sources.
The solid material remaining after rendering is called cracklings, greaves, or graves.[1] It has been used mostly for animal food, such as dog food.[2][3]
In the soap industry and among soap-making hobbyists, the name tallowate is used informally to refer to soaps made from tallow. Sodium tallowate, for example, is obtained by reacting tallow with sodium hydroxide (lye, caustic soda) or sodium carbonate (washing soda). It consists chiefly of a variable mixture of sodium salts of fatty acids, such as oleic and palmitic.[4]
- ^ "Greaves: a high-protein solid which is left following the extraction of tallow from animal by-products during the rendering process". Archived from the original on 2019-06-22. Retrieved 2018-10-28.
- ^ Nicolas Jean Baptiste Boyard, Manuel du bouvier et zoophile: ou l'art d'élever de soigner les animaux 1844, 327
- ^ "The Sportsman's Dictionary; Or, The Gentleman's Companion: for Town and Country". G. G. J. and J. Robinson. December 6, 1785 – via Google Books.
- ^ 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 9781462065783