Don't stop oil The US health chief says seed fat is toxic. Our experts disagree

Robert F Kennedy Jr claims that lard isa healthier option. Food writer Giulia Crouch gets the verdicts of leading nutritionists

- Robert F Kennedy

It's curious that something so bland could cause so much controversy. Most of us have a bottle of seed oil, normally called vegetable oil in the UK, in our kitchensa nearly tasteless but very useful fat that has been a commonplace cooking ingredient for decades.

And yet this previously unremarkable golden liquid has sparked online furore and vicious debate. Nutrition influencers on social media have described it as "toxic", "inflammatory", "unnatural" and the root cause of the obesity epidemic.

The US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has caused controversy with his views on subjects from vaccines to fluoride in drinking water, has said the population is being "unknowingly poisoned" by seed oils and urged people to revert to "traditional" fats such as butter, lard and beef dripping for better health.

Last month the Wall Street Journal reported that fast food chains were promoting their shift away from seed oils after Kennedy's criticisms. He even made a televised visit to a branch of Steak 'n Shake to praise its decision to cook fries in beef tallow instead.

So should we really be ditching our bottles of vegetable and sunflower oils and covering everything in lard?