Cottolene – First Vegetable Shortening Alternative to Lard
Cottolene was the first mass-produced alternative to lard, made with cottonseed oil and beef suet. It was launched in 1868 by the N.K. Fairbank Company and advertised as a vegetable shortening more pure and wholesome than lard. Although cotton isn’t a vegetable, the FDA defines any oil sourced from plants—regardless of whether it comes from a fruit, nut, seed, or vegetable as a “vegetable oil.” Cottolene looked like lard and came packaged in pails, just like lard. It was aggressively promoted…