Refining,bleaching and hydrogenating meat fats

Meat fats are most often steam refined. This has been the accepted practice for at least 35 years. Meat fats are caustic refined for a few specialized products. The caustic refining conditions differ from those used for vegetable oils primarily in the amount of mixing used after the addition of caustic. Bleaching of meat fats is accomplished easily. Most meat fats are light in color and require clarification more than bleaching. The green color of tallows containing large amounts of chlorophyll is easily removed with activated earth. Meat fats are hydrogenated to develop the SFI curves needed for various products and also are hydrogenated to saturation for use as plasticizing agents. The hydrogenation of lard and tallow is not as complicated as that of most vegetable oils, because the original fat is more saturated and the reaction has fewer possible routes to follow.