Safety

• The Food and Drug Administration lists hydrogenated tallow as safe for use in cosmetics and foods. Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep, a cosmetics safety database, says tallow can cause rashes or acne in some people, but government and consumer agencies classify it as generally safe and harmless. Even after concerns over mad cow disease prompted the FDA to restrict the use of some other animal byproducts, the agency said tallow is safe if it's adequately processed and made from approved animal parts.
  
  

Concerns

• While tallow is safe to use, it's controversial among those with ethical or religious objections to using animal byproducts. McDonald's paid $10 million to vegetarian and religious groups in 2002 after complaints about the tallow coating on its french fries. According to "The New York Times," the chain didn't disclose the animal-fat coating, and consumers wrongly thought the fries were a vegetarian food.
  
  

Alternatives

• Those who avoid animal-derived tallow look for vegetable tallow, plant oils, petroleum or paraffin in their cosmetics and skin products. Vegetable oils and shortening can also replace tallow in foods.