Lard Production: How to Start a Lard Production Business

 Lard has many uses including soap and bio-fuel production. Industrial applications are as an anti-foaming agent, brewing and fermentation processes.

Lard has been used in commercial kitchens for hundreds of years and recently experiences resurgence. The edible oil has high saturated fat content, distinct flavor and high/low smoke point.

Because of the wide range of application lard production seem to be on the increase. It is not all rosy for the pig fat as serious health concerns have been established.

Lard has a 100g fat, 39g saturated fat, 45g monounsaturated fat and 11g polyunsaturated fat content.

There is a large amount of culinary edible oils in the market. Some are soybean oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil and coconut oil.

Others are suet, butter, rice bran oil and corn oil. Here is a list of different types of edible oil that compete in the same market with lard.

Corn oil

Rice bran oil

Olive oil

Canola oil

Soybean oil

Butter

Sunflower oil

Health Considerations

Lard despite having a competitive advantage based on price it struggle for a market share. Health conscious people in modern society prefer vegetable based oil.

The high prevalent of fat content and apparent health risks has reduced the popularity of lard. The major concerns are the presence of high quantity of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids. In reality butter contains more saturated fat than lard per gram.

How to Produce Lard

The pig fat is the primary source of lard. The lard is harvest in areas of high concentration of fatty tissues.

Visceral fat is regarded as best grade lard and found in large deposits close to the kidney. Subcutaneous fat has similar attributes as visceral fat and considered the next best thing. The lowest quality lard is the soft fat obtained from the digestive region.

The production process involves either the wet or dry process. No water is used during dry process however high temperature is applied on the fat. 

The dry process produces brownish color lard that has low smoking point. The wet process involves boiling the fat at high temperature and skimming the surface to obtain the lard.

Some produces use different grades of fat to produce a mix blend of lard. Another method is through a centrifugal process. 

Wet process produces lard that has a natural high smoke point, smooth natural flavor and color. To produce lard you need to learn the production processes. Learn the rudiments from practical experience, books and seminars.

Marketing

Lard still attracts its own fair share of business. The top buyers of the product are manufacturers and commercial kitchens.

Some bakeries prefer lard over other fat based products. The kind of lard you produce depends on your targeted customer base.

Employ commission based sales representatives to reach out to new markets. Use print media to advertise your product.

Other Considerations

You need to purchase the right equipment, lease a small factory and hire experienced staff.  Apply for loans and try target savings to raise funds.

Your product needs proper packaging and branding. Don’t forget to register your business and get insurance cover. Find out environmental laws guiding the enterprise. 

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