Lard is created using just animal fat, typically extracted from pig flesh. This was used daily in the early 20th century, however this decreased in popularity once vegetable shortening (examples butter, margarine and crisco) was invented. The majority of lard is produced through a method known as rendering, which involves gently cooking the fatty sections of the pig (such as the belly, butt and shoulder) until the fat melts. Then the meat and fat are separated. Lard will harden into a smooth, opaque product after cooling.

The types of lard is dependent on which part of the pork is utilised and how it is extracted. There are different varieties of lard, some of which include rendered, unrendered, processed and leaf lard.

• Unrendered lard is derived from the trimmings of pig meat. This is not melted (rendered) nor filtered. This brings along the lingering pork flavour, thus it is not the best choice for baking because of the pork flavour.
• Rendered lard is derived from 100% pork felt which is melted, filtered and chilled- thus removing that lingering pork flavour.
• Processed lard is the most popular, because it doesn't have any lingering pork flavour. It is made by melting, filtering and clarifying pork fat. Clarification refers to the process of bleaching and hydrogenating, which tones down the pork flavour and keeps the lard solid at room temperature.
• Leaf lard is considered the most luxurious of all lard types since it is derived from the leaf-shaped fat around the kidneys and the abdomen. It doesn't contain a pork taste and its soft, creamy and smooth texture makes it the best choice for baking.

The vegetable shortening is prepared by the hydrogenation of vegetable oil, which solidifies when at room temperature and allow the creation of trans-fatty acids, which inevitably elevate LDL (bad cholesterol), drop HDL (good cholesterol), and raise total cholesterol. It has now come to our attention that the immune system and cell membranes may be negatively impacted by these artificial substances, which also raise the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease and premature ageing. On the other hand if lard is used in our daily diet, instead of the vegetable shortenings, there could be many advantages. Compared to butter's 45% monounsaturated fat content, lard has 60%. Reduced chance of heart disease is linked to this. Lard is preferred to butter because it has the same quantity (about 95 milligrams per 100 grams of fat) of cholesterol as butter but causes less harm because it has more monounsaturated fats.

Lard also contains oleic acid, which makes up the bulk of the monounsaturated fat in lard. This is regarded as an essential fatty acid that is good for the heart since it lowers the levels of low density lipids (bad cholesterol) in the blood. In comparison to butter, lard contains almost twice as much oleic acid.

Another benefit of lard is that it has a high smoking point than other fats, around 190 degrees Celsius, which makes it the perfect frying oil and allows for the faster and crunchier food without burning or developing carcinogenic byproducts. This also has the extra benefit of absorbing less grease.

The fat layer present in lard contains rich substances which have great variety of physiologically active compounds, including antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins; these include saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, a complex of minerals and vitamins D, F, A, and E. Lard also contains essential and valuable fatty acids, these include stearic, linoleic, palmitic, oleic acid and linolenic. All these components increase the biological activity of this product five to six times, compared to butter. Lecithin present in lard has the beneficial effects on blood vessels and cell membranes which makes them stronger and more elastic.

Lard is advantageous for enhancing brain function, stimulating the kidneys and heart, normalizes blood counts and deduces excess of harmful cholesterol. Additionally, it has low amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids, which are known to worsen inflammation. Lard advocates assert that free-range pigs which eat greens rather than grains have greater levels of Omega-3 fatty acids.

When taken in large quantities, lard may be harmful as well, especially when cooked and fried fats form carcinogenic byproducts. Its high consumption may inevitably induce obesity together with negative effects on the liver, heart and kidneys. Supermarkets sell lard in cans, but the bulk of these products have been hydrogenated to lengthen their shelf lives and are probably not what you want. It is stated that "leaf lard", which is collected from the pig's belly and kidneys after little processing or "fatback lard", which is obtained from the animal's back, are the best types of lard. These can be found online or at high-end specialised stores.

Lard should be the subject of more research because it was unavoidably supplanted in the 20th century on the pretence that it was more dangerous than vegetable shortening, although this claim has since been debunked.

Renald Blundell is a biochemist and biotechnologist with a special interest in Natural and Alternative Medicine. He is a professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta

Eleanore Cricchiola worked as a staff nurse in 2013; graduated in Bachelors of Science (Honours) Health Science in 2016. Proceeded to graduate as a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery in 2021

Photo: AI-generated images created by Prof. Blundell