Coast Packing Insights

Lard is being smeared on sourdough, draped over scallops and boiled up for triple-cooked chips – and it might even be good for us. Are you a fan of pig fat?

You think you’ve got marketing challenges? Think what it’s been like for Coast Packing, a top supplier of lard and beef tallow, two products dietitians scorn as cholesterol producers of the first order.

Lard and schmaltz are being smeared on bread, plopped on pizza, ladled on mash potatoes — and experts say this “animal fat craze” may even be healthier for us.

Up until the 20th century, Americans commonly used lard as a cooking fat, shortening or just a spread to be enjoyed with a slice of bread Then, as NPR pointed out, the public came to regard pig fat as exceptionally unhealthy.

Clean-food trend and new regulations converge to rehabilitate animal fats

Consumption of animal fats is on the rise, and the trend is led by millennials, according to a new survey from Coast Packing Company and Ipsos Research.

Before the trend toward plant-based oils gained traction, us Brits would consume good old-fashioned lard without fear.

The Italian fatback finds its way onto salumi plates, burgers and tacos across the US

Flavor inspiration from the Pacific Rim (think Asia, Oceania and the western coasts of North and South America) are popping up in grocery stores and restaurants as people continue to explore more of the world through their palates.

CHICAGO — Without fat, many foods lack substance. Fat dissolves and concentrates flavors and aromas, and depending on the source, may bring its own flavors to a recipe. Think: buttery croissant, coconut cream curry and sesame oil stir fry.

Depending on your age, you may or may not be familiar with lard. The cooking fat was once a staple ingredient in home kitchens, though over the years, it has become something of a mysterious one.

When it comes to baking, everyone has their choice of “fat” or oil that they prefer to use. For some, it’s butter; for others, it’s a vegetable shortening like Crisco.

This summer, America came together to celebrate its love for French fries, and a Sonoma County resident was among the winners of Coast Packing Co.’s 7th Annual Beef Tallow French Fry Contest. Yoshiharu Sogi of Santa Rosa, California, took home second place, impressing the judges with his beef tallow fries, which he plans to add to his catering menu.

French fries may not be as American as apple pie, but this time of year, they’re the inspiration for any number of savory celebrations. Just ask Coast Packing.

French fries may not be as American as apple pie, but this time of year, they’re the inspiration for any number of savory celebrations. Just ask Coast Packing.

Coinciding with the July 12 observance of #NationalFrenchFryDay and #NationalBeefTallowDay on July 13, Coast Packing Company, a leading supplier of animal fat shortenings, is asking fry-lovers to submit a favorite restaurant that features beef tallow French fries by including the hashtag #BeefTallowFrenchFries and tag @CoastPackingCo, while adding enticing photos of the fries themselves.

Working with the dough and frying this treat to crispy perfection isn’t as tricky as you may think. Simply use these two tips from Greg Hozinsky, corporate chef of Coast Packing Company, to prepare funnel cake fries without hassle.

The North American Meat Institute detailed its newly elected key officers for 2024 which included Eric Gustafson, chairman and chief executive officer of Coast Packing Company, being elected incoming chairman.

I’m writing this a couple of hours after the historic finale for the 2023 edition of KCRW and Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament, held yesterday (October 8) at Smorgasburg LA. Before me are a bunch of small quesadillas made from corn tortillas I bought at Miramar Tortillería in East Los Angeles, my all-time favorite machine-made corn tortilla. I always love to give them a plug when I can, not just to let people know where the good stuff is, but also to let them know that Miramar hasn’t been in the #TortillaTournament since 2021, since the competition is that tough.

Coast Packing, the largest supplier of animal fat shortenings in the Western United States, has rolled out its evolving, interactive TasteMap, a national initiative built on more than five years of pointing consumers to places where they can taste the difference lard and beef tallow make in all kinds of food.

In the latest animal fats study from Coast Packing, a leading supplier of animal fat shortenings in the Western United States, roughly half of the more than 1,000 Americans sampled like what animal fats do to the taste of various dishes.

Every year, as myself and my fellow judges in KCRW and Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament are about to announce the winner of the Golden Tortilla, Good Food host Evan Kleiman sighs the same lament on stage.

There’s nothing like a summer block party to kick off a company’s next 100 years… and in Vernon last weekend, Coast Packing greeted friends and family with vivid reasons for its longevity. See our feature in Food & Beverage Magazine..

Along with hundreds of employees past and present, Coast celebrated a century of transformation — and 100 years of great taste — during an afternoon dedicated to showcasing both the staying power of family leadership and the enduring appeal of food that is authentic, traditional, and just plain delicious. See feature story on PerishableNews.com…