Source, Etc. - The official suet is mutton suet, obtained from the abdomen of the sheep, Ovis aries, Linne (Phylum Chordata, Sub-phylum Craniata, Class Mammalia, Order Ungulata). It is purified by thoroughly crushing it so as to break the membranous vesicles in which the fat is contained, melting, and straining. During the cooling it should be stirred, so as to prevent the constituents of higher melting-point separating in a more or less granular form.

Description

Suet should be white, smooth, and uniform in appearance, and possess a slight characteristic odour, but be free from rancidity. It melts at about 45° to 49°, and has a specific gravity of 0.948 to 0.953 (at 15°).

Constituents

It consists principally of stearin and palmitin (about 80 per cent.), associated with olein (about 20 per cent.). The acid value should not exceed 2; saponification value 192 to 195; iodine value 33 to 46; refractive index at 60° 1.4490 to1.4510; melting-point 45° to 50°.