What is Wrong with Shortening? Examining Health Concerns and Alternatives

January 12, 2026 •

3 min read

In the early 1900s, shortening was introduced as a cheap and shelf-stable alternative to animal fats like lard. However, the key question, "what is wrong with shortening?" has lingered for decades, evolving from trans fat fears to modern concerns about highly processed vegetable oils.

Quick Summary

Shortening's reputation is mired in past trans fat health risks and modern concerns over highly processed ingredients. While now largely trans fat-free, new formulations may carry unknown health effects, making healthier, less processed alternatives preferable for overall well-being.

Key Points

Trans Fats Are Gone, But Processing Persists: While modern shortening is largely trans fat-free due to FDA bans, it's still a highly processed fat made via full hydrogenation and interesterification.
Interesterified Fats Are an Unknown: The long-term health effects of interesterified fats, used to make modern shortening spreadable, are not well understood and some animal studies raise concerns.
Lacks Flavor and Nutrients: Shortening is flavorless and nutritionally sparse, unlike alternatives such as butter or lard which offer a richer taste and some natural vitamins.
Creates a Tender Texture: Shortening is excellent for producing tender and flaky baked goods, a textural benefit that can be a pro for certain recipes like pie crusts.
Healthier Alternatives Exist: Better options for baking and frying include butter for flavor, lard for flakiness, and coconut oil for a plant-based solid fat.
Moderation is Key: All fats, including shortening, should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

From Trans Fats to Interesterification: The Health Evolution of Shortening

For many years, the primary health concern associated with shortening was its high content of artificial trans fats, created during the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils. These fats were linked to serious health problems, including elevated 'bad' LDL cholesterol and lowered 'good' HDL cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. The US FDA's ban on partially hydrogenated oils in 2018 addressed this issue, forcing manufacturers to reformulate.

Modern shortening now uses fully hydrogenated oils, which are trans fat-free. However, this process creates a fat that is too hard for many baking applications, so it is often blended with liquid oil through a process called interesterification. While this creates a spreadable fat with zero trans fat, research into the long-term health effects of interesterified fats is still limited and some animal studies have shown potentially negative outcomes, such as inflammation and impaired blood sugar control.

Shortening vs. Butter vs. Lard: A Comparison

Choosing the right fat depends on the desired texture and flavor profile. While shortening has its benefits, especially for producing flaky pastry and soft cookies, it falls short on flavor and nutritional value compared to other options.

Comparison of Common Baking Fats


Feature	Vegetable Shortening	Butter	Lard
Composition	100% processed vegetable oil	~80% fat, 16% water, milk solids	100% rendered pork fat
Flavor	Neutral	Rich, buttery, creamy	Rich, savory (some varieties neutral)
Melting Point	High	Low	High
Texture	Very tender, soft, high-rising baked goods	Flaky, crispy, flavorful baked goods	Very flaky, tender pastries
Health	Highly processed; interesterified fats are a concern	Contains more saturated fat, but also vitamins A, E, K	High in monounsaturated fats; naturally occurring

The Problem with High Processing

Beyond the specific fat composition, another issue with many modern shortenings is the level of industrial processing. The journey from raw vegetable oil to a solid block of shortening involves hydrogenation and often interesterification. This intensive processing removes most, if not all, of the natural vitamins and minerals present in the source oil. The result is a nutritionally sparse product that serves primarily as a calorie-dense fat. Whole food alternatives like butter and lard, while needing moderation, retain more of their inherent nutritional profile. Coconut oil, another plant-based solid fat, is also less processed and contains healthy medium-chained fats, though it does add a distinct flavor.

Alternatives for Baking and Frying

If you are concerned with what is wrong with shortening, there are several healthy and delicious alternatives for your baking and frying needs. For pie crusts, a combination of butter and lard is often favored by bakers for the perfect balance of flavor and flakiness. For cookies and cakes, butter offers a richer flavor profile, though using a 50/50 blend of butter and a trans fat-free shortening can prevent excessive spreading. Coconut oil can be a vegan substitute for shortening, but be mindful of its flavor. For frying, oils with high smoke points like avocado or clarified butter (ghee) are excellent, less-processed options. Reading ingredient labels is crucial, as some store-bought shortenings can still contain hydrogenated oils or trace amounts of trans fats despite regulations. A great resource for understanding fats is the Institute of Food Science and Technology, which provides insights into food science.

Conclusion: Informed Choices for Healthier Baking

While the original danger of trans fats in shortening has been largely eliminated, the product remains a highly processed, nutritionally deficient fat. Modern manufacturing techniques like interesterification have raised new questions about long-term health effects. For those prioritizing flavor, texture, and natural ingredients, alternatives like butter, lard, and coconut oil offer superior choices. Understanding what is wrong with shortening helps consumers make more informed decisions about the ingredients they use in their kitchens, ultimately leading to healthier, and often tastier, results.

Frequently Asked Questions

While trans fats have been largely removed, modern shortening is still a highly processed fat, and the health effects of its replacement fats (interesterified fats) are not yet fully understood.

The term 'shortening' comes from its ability to 'shorten' the gluten strands in flour, which results in a tender, crumbly, or flaky texture in baked goods rather than a tough, elastic one.

Most commercial shortenings in the US are now trans fat-free due to an FDA ban on partially hydrogenated oils, but it's important to check the label for 'fully hydrogenated oil' and be aware of interesterified fats.

You can substitute shortening for butter, but it will change the flavor and texture. Shortening produces a softer, less flavorful baked good, while butter creates a richer, flakier texture.

Healthy alternatives include butter, lard (particularly high-quality leaf lard), coconut oil, and avocado oil.

Many bakers and health advocates prefer lard over shortening because it is less processed, naturally high in monounsaturated fats, and provides a richer flavor and flakier texture.

Interesterified fats are created by rearranging the fatty acids in fully hydrogenated oils to produce a semi-solid fat. They are used in modern shortenings to achieve a spreadable texture without trans fats.