Cholesterol disposition (tissue deposition + fecal excretion) was determined in young pigs fed restricted (trial 1) or liberal (trial 2) amounts of beef-based, soy-based or conventional swine diets. Cholesterol content of diet is greater than average United States consumption per kilogram body weight but is very similar on a per-kilocalorie intake basis. Both beef and soy diets contained more cholesterol (0.09% by weight vs. 0%) and fat (40-50% of calories vs. 8-9%) than did conventional diets. Dried egg yolk was the source of cholesterol in the soy diets. Beef- and soy-fed pigs had greater plasma, HDL and LDL cholesterol concentrations than did conventionally fed pigs; beef-fed pigs had greater plasma, HDL and LDL cholesterol concentrations than did soy-fed pigs in trial 2 only. Final HDL-to-LDL cholesterol ratios did not differ. Neutral steroid and bile acid excretion was twofold greater in soy-fed than in conventionally or beef-fed pigs in trial 2 only. Differences in cholesterol concentrations were found in liver (soy, beef greater than conventional) and heart (soy greater than beef, conventional) in trial 1 and in liver (soy, beef greater than conventional), adipose tissue (soy greater than conventional greater than beef) and aorta and other viscera (conventional greater than soy, beef) in trial 2. In both trials, soy-fed pigs had greatest whole-body cholesterol concentrations. Thus, in both trials, disposition of cholesterol was similar in conventionally fed and beef-fed pigs, despite greater cholesterol intake in the latter, but was greater soy-fed pigs.