8 BULLETIN 310, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



tends to lower the average. However, since there were apparently 

 no abnormal conditions, these results have been included in obtaining 

 the average. The digestibility of the fat content of the total diet, 

 93.7 per cent, should closely approximate the digestibility of lard, 

 since over 97 per cent of the total fat consumed was lard. 



The "digestibility" of fat is often a matter of popular discussion, 

 and not infrequently the statement is made that "lard is indigestible." 

 The term "indigestible" in the accurate sense implies that a large 

 part of the food in question leaves the body unassimilated, though 

 sometimes the expression is loosely used to explain a digestive dis- 

 turbance resulting from eating the food. In these tests the fat was 

 very thoroughly assimilated as compared with the other fats included 

 in the investigation, so it was not indigestible in the sense that it 

 failed to digest. No distress was experienced by the subjects, nor 

 were any unusual circumstances observed, so in these experiments at 

 least, the lard was not "indigestible" in the popular sense. 



It is frequently noted that those who think they can not eat lard 

 have no such feeling in regard to bacon, which is one of the very 

 popular fat foods. Before the whole question can be settled, it is 

 desirable to make tests with lard, bacon, and other fats, in which 

 the fat is incorporated with the other ingredients of the diet of which 

 it forms a part and subjected to a higher temperature (as in frying 

 and baking) than was used to make the blanc mange in these 

 experiments. 



BEEF FAT. 



Beef suet is used as a fat for sauteing and deep frying and in 

 making suet puddings and dumplings, which are fairly common in 

 the United States, though less so than in Great Britain, and for 

 other culinary purposes. Rendered beef fat is not used as a table 

 fat in this country to any great extent, though in Europe families 

 of small means often eat so-called "drippings" on their bread in 

 the place of butter. 



Beef suet has a rather pronounced and characteristic flavor as 

 well as a comparatively high melting point; to these properties may 

 be attributed the fact that it is not a common table fat in the United 

 States. Experience and experiments show that it is possible to 

 remove much of the characteristic taste. One household method 

 which is fairly successful is to mix milk with the suet when it is 

 rendered, using half a cup of milk to a pound of suet. On straining 

 and cooling practically all the milk solids are occluded and serve to 

 change or mask the characteristic beef-fat flavor. 



As was the case with lard, few reports of experiments on the diges- 

 tibility of beef fat have been found. 



