- It is depicted in the graphic below which fatty acids are the most frequent in lard.
- It includes a significant amount of oleic acid (45 percent) in addition to palmitic acid.
- You’ve probably already noticed that each of these fatty acids has a distinctive appearance.
- In contrast to linoleic acid, which is already a complicated compound, palmitic acid is quite easy, consisting of a long simple chain.
Lard
| Wet-rendered lard, from pork fatback | |
| Fat composition | |
|---|---|
| Saturated fats | |
| Total saturated | 38–43%: Palmitic acid: 25–28% Stearic acid: 12–14% Myristic acid: 1% |
| Unsaturated fats |
How many grams of fat in lard?
1 gram of fat (12.8 g) 2 g Saturated Fatty Acids 3 g Monounsaturated Fatty Acids 5.8 g 4 g Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids As indicated in the table, lard is a type of isolated fat that is predominantly comprised of unsaturated fatty acids and is used in cooking.
Is lard a heat-sensitive fat?
Lard contains just around 11 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are the fats that are more susceptible to heat (and hence more prone to oxidation) than other forms of fat (3). Lard is not alone in this regard; other animal fats such as tallow (beef fat) and goose fat are also heat-stable and may be used in the same manner.