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History of Margarine
Although it has been around for over a
century, margarine was not always the
preferred tablespread in the U.S. In
1930, per capita consumption of margarine
was only 2.6 pounds (vs. 17.6 pounds of
butter). Times have changed for the
better, though. Today, per capita
consumption of margarine in the U.S. is
8.3 pounds (including vegetable oil
spreads) whereas butter consumption is
down to about 4.2 pounds. Research
studies have shown that the shift within
populations around the world - from the
highly saturated fat content of butter to
vegetable oil-based margarines - have
contributed significantly to the reduced
risk of heart disease. Check out the
timeline below to learn more about the
history or margarine.
1870
Margarine was created by a Frenchman
from Provence, France -- Hippolyte
Mège-Mouriez -- in response to an offer
by the Emperor Louis Napoleon III for the
production of a satisfactory substitute
for butter. To formulate his entry,
Mège-Mouriez used margaric acid, a fatty
acid component isolated in 1813 by
Michael Chevreul and named because of the
lustrous pearly drops that reminded him
of the Greek word for pearl -- margarites.
From this word, Mège-Mouriez coined the
name margarine for his invention that
claimed the Emperor’s prize.
1873
An American patent was granted to
Mège-Mouriez who intended to expand his
French margarine factory and production
to the United States. While demand for
margarine was strong in northern Europe
and the potential equally as promising in
the U.S., Mège-Mouriez’s operations
nevertheless failed and he died
obscurely.
1878
Unilever began manufacturing margarine
in Europe.
1871-73
The U. S. Dairy Company in New York
City began production of “artificial
butter.”
1877
State laws requiring identification of
margarine were passed in New York and
Maryland as the dairy industry began to
feel the impact of this rapidly growing
product
1881
Improvements to Mège-Mouriez’s
formulation were made; U.S. Dairy created
a subsidiary, the Commercial
Manufacturing Company, to produce several
million pounds annually of this new
product.
1885
When a court voided a ban on margarine
in New York, dairy militants turned their
attention to Washington, resulting in
Congressional passage of the Margarine
Act of 1886. The Act imposed a tax of two
cents per pound on margarine and required
expensive licenses for manufacturers,
wholesalers and retailers of margarine.
President Grover Cleveland, from the
dairy state of New York, signed the law,
describing it as a revenue measure.
However, the 1886 law failed to slow the
sale of margarine principally because it
did not require identification of
margarine at the point of sale and
margarine adversaries turned their
attention back to the states.
1886
More than 30 manufacturing facilities
were reported to be engaged in the
production of margarine. Among them were
Armour and Company of Chicago and Lever
Brothers of New York. Seventeen states
required the product to be specifically
identified as margarine. Various state
laws to control margarine were passed in
a number of states, but were not
enforced. Later that year, New York and
New Jersey prohibited the manufacture and
sale of yellow-colored margarine.
1902
32 states and 80% of the U.S.
population lived under margarine color
bans. While the Supreme Court upheld such
bans, it did strike down forced
coloration (pink) which had begun in an
effort to get around the ban on yellow
coloring. During this period coloring in
the home began, with purveyors providing
capsules of food coloring to be kneaded
into the margarine. This practice
continued through World War II.
1902
Amendments to the Federal Margarine
Act raised the tax on colored margarine
five-fold, but decreased licensing fees
for white margarine. But demand for
colored margarine remained so strong,
that bootleg colored margarine
flourished.
1904
Margarine production suffered and
consumption dropped from 120 million
pounds in 1902 to 48 million.
1910
Intense pressure by competitors to
keep prices low and new product
innovations, as well as dairy price
increases, returned production levels of
margarine back to 130 million pounds. The
Federal tax remained despite many efforts
to repeal it, but consumption grew
gradually in spite of it.
1920
With America’s entry into World War I,
the country began to experience a fat
shortage and a sharp increase in the cost
of living, both factors in driving
margarine consumption to an annual per
capita level of 3.5 pounds.
1930
The Margarine Act was again amended to
place the Federal tax on
naturally-colored (darkened with the use
of palm oil) as well as
artificially-colored margarine. During
the Depression dairy interests again
prevailed upon the states to enact
legislation equalizing butter and
margarine prices. Consumers reacted and
consumption of margarine dropped to an
annual per capita level of 1.6 pounds.
1932
Besides Federal taxes and licenses, 27
states prohibited the manufacture or sale
of colored margarine, 24 imposed some
kind of consumer tax and 26 required
licenses or otherwise restricted
margarine sales. The Army, Navy and other
Federal agencies were barred from using
margarine for other than cooking
purposes.
1941
Through production innovations,
advertising and improved packaging,
margarine consumption regained lost
ground. A Federal standard was
established recognizing margarine as a
spread of its own kind. With raised
awareness of margarine’s health benefits
from a 1941 National Nutrition
Conference, consumers began to take
notice of restrictions on margarine that
were keeping the product from them and
artificially inflating the price.
1943
State taxes on margarine were repealed
in Oklahoma. The courts removed color
barriers in other states shortly after
World War II.
1947
Residual war shortages of butter sent
it to a dollar a pound and Margarine Act
repeal legislation was offered from many
politicians.
1950
Some of the more popular brands prior
up until now were Cloverbloom, Mayflower,
Mazola, Nucoa, Blue Plate, Mrs.
Filbert’s, Parkay, Imperial, Good Luck,
Nu-Maid, Farmbelle, Shedd’s Safflower,
Churngold, Blue Bonnet, Fleischmann’s,
Sunnyland and Table Maid.
1950
Margarine taxes and restrictions
became the talk of the country. Finally,
following a significant effort by the
National Association of Margarine
Manufacturers, President Truman signed
the Margarine Act of 1950 on March 23 of
that year.
1951
The Federal margarine tax system came
to an end. Pre-colored margarine was
enjoyed by a consumer also pleased with
lower prices. Consumption almost doubled
in the next twenty years. State color
bans, taxes, licenses and other
restrictions began to fall.
1960s
The first tub margarine and vegetable
oil spreads were introduced to the
American public
1967
Wisconsin became the last state to
repeal restrictions on margarine.
1996
A bill introduced by Rep. Ed Whitfield
would signal an end to the last piece of
legislation that adversely affects the
sale of margarine. Currently, federal law
prohibits the retail sale of margarine in
packages larger than one pound, as well
as detailed requirements regarding the
size and types of labeling of margarine
and a color requirement. This new
legislation would remove these
restrictions from the Federal Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Rep.
Whitfield’s bill, the Margarine Equity
Act, is part of HR 3200, the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) reform package
and addresses dated requirements that are
not applicable to the marketplace.
1998
125th anniversary of the U.S. patent
for margarine
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