The supplier of animal fat shortenings throughout the Western U.S., is calling on cookie bakers and cookie consumers everywhere to indulge in the month of October—and don’t forget the lard.

October is officially National Cookie Month, and to mark the observance, Coast Packing Company, a supplier of animal fat shortenings throughout the Western U.S., is calling on cookie bakers and cookie consumers everywhere to indulge—and don’t forget the lard.

“Animal fat shortenings are all about making food taste better, but the really good news is that animal fats need to be part of the diet of every health-conscious individual,” said Eric Gustafson, CEO of the 93-year-old company. “The fact is, the health benefits of natural animal fats are now beyond dispute, and we’re proud to say that none of our products contains potentially toxic artificial trans fats or artificial anything. Consumers are wise to avoid industrially-produced partially hydrogenated fats in favor of animal fat shortenings, which have the added benefit of being consistently delicious.”

“[National Cookie Month] is for honoring and enjoying the sweet flavor of cookies and sharing them with friends and family,” noted the holiday directory website. “Let today be the day you learn to bake new cookie recipes and learn to decorate a cookie in a new way. Let today be the day you sit down with a tall cold glass of milk or hot coffee, a large plate of fresh cookies, and have no guilt at eating them all up.”