As Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr promotes beef tallow and social media boosts consumer interest, manufacturers are stepping up production of seed oil alternatives.
Kennedy commended Steak ‘n Shake for using beef tallow rather than vegetable or seed oils in March 2025 on the Fox News show “Hannity,” fueling interest in the fat and a broader anti-seed oil movement that has labeled the following oils as “The Hateful Eight”: canola (rapeseed) oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil and rice Bran oils.
The twin trends are opening the door for CPG innovation focused on fats, with several brands using beef tallow for added flavor, ingredient transparency and marketing buzz.
What does the science say about beef tallow and seed oils?
The science says that beef tallow is not a healthier alternative to seed oils.
“Seed oils contain unsaturated fats that lower LDL cholesterol and protect against heart disease, while beef tallow contains mostly saturated fat which in contrast raises LDL cholesterol,” says Bryan Quoc Le, a food scientist and principal consultant at Mendocino Food Consulting, which caters to food and beverage brands.
Amanda Dvorak, a nutrition coach at Garage Gym Reviews, believes that social media influencers are driving the interest in beef tallow.
“This fits into the larger rise of carnivore, paleo and low-carb eating patterns, where animal-based fats are often seen as supportive of health,” she says. “From a nutrition perspective, this may interest people who are already skeptical of processed foods and want ingredients they view as more ‘whole’ or ‘clean.’”
Dvorak adds that plant-based oils remain recommended for heart health.
What is the market potential for beef tallow and seed oil-free claims?
While beef tallow may not be a healthier alternative to seed oils, manufacturers have a built-in audience that believes otherwise. The first group of consumers are those who are blatantly anti-seed oil.
“Consumers are connecting seed oil avoidance with health, quality and trust, which is translating directly into sales and loyalty for brands that make the switch,” says Jonathan Rubin, founder of the Seed Oil Free Alliance, which certifies that packaged foods and restaurants are indeed free from industrial seed oils.
There is also the audience that may not wholeheartedly believe beef tallow is healthier, but choose it out of familiarity.
Jessica Randhawa, chef and owner of The Forked Spoon, a recipe website, remembers her grandparents using beef tallow. She believes that the beef tallow craze is mostly about perception and practicality.
“Whether or not all the science is clear, people tend to feel better when choosing something that looks natural and familiar,” she says. “Tallow provides brands a story that’s easy to tell — less industrial and more wholesome.”
Randhawa says she uses beef tallow because it is a natural byproduct of her bone broth and, having grown up with it, she knows how to use it.
Brands are hopping on the beef tallow bandwagon
Brands capitalizing on the beef tallow trend already exist, including Real Good Food Co. and South Chicago Packing.
Real Good Foods, a better-for-you branded frozen food company, has a new No Seed Oil Breaded Chicken line for nuggets, tenders, chunks, strips and popcorn. On the bag of these products appears a golden ribbon that says “No Seed Oils” or “Cooked in Pure Beef Tallow.” The switch came in July 2025.
“This launch represents the first step in our broader ambition to eventually remove industrial seed oils across our entire portfolio,” says Rikki Ingram, chief marketing officer at Real Good Foods.
She identifies the Real Good Foods target shopper as health-conscious and in support of a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet.
“People want cleaner, more traditional cooking fats, and beef tallow delivers both flavor and transparency,” says Ingram. “We believe this switch will not only expand our reach but also build trust and strengthen loyalty — ultimately driving sales as more shoppers seek cleaner, better-for-you options.”
The company also sells jars of grass-fed, grass-finished beef tallow as cooking oil.
South Chicago Packing also sells beef tallow products in jars, as well as 42-ounce tubs and sprays, which they market as the world’s first wagyu beef tallow spray.
The company began as a meat-packing operation 120 years ago and, in 2020, moved toward selling beef tallow directly to consumers on Amazon.
“This shift came in response to a growing consumer demand for natural, clean-label ingredients,” says Catherine Lane, vice president of consumer brands at South Chicago Packing.
Marketing matters: Beef tallow can convey multiple meanings
The question for manufacturers using beef tallow is how they wish to frame that approach.
If they explicitly align with the anti-seed oil movement, that may bring a political association.
If they instead promote beef tallow as something long-used by previous generations, they might avoid that association. Instead, their products may be seen as traditional, perhaps old-fashioned or heritage-based.
