Nelson Rushton, age 13, of Huntsville, Ala., for his question:
HOW IS MARGARINE MADE?
A French chemist by the name of Hippolyte Mege Mouries developed margarine in the late 1860s as a substitute for butter. He called it oleomargarine because it was made up of beef fat, which was called oleo, and margaric acid. The product was brought to America in the early 1870s and was immediately criticized by members of the dairy industry who feared it. Margarine is a butterlike product that is made from either animal fats or vegetable oils. It is also used as a bread spread by many.
Today people in the United States use twice as much margarine as butter. It can be produced so that it has the, same food value as butter, and it can usually cost a lot less.
Many of the various brands of margarine being made today also contain much less of a fatty substance called cholesterol than is found in butter. Lots of medical authorities warn people that too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to heart attacks. Because of this, many people have switched to margarine and other low cholesterol foods.
Regulations state that margarine must contain at least 80 percent fat. The fat must be emulsified, or evenly distributed, in either milk, water or a type of milk made from soybeans. A preservative is added to prevent decay and most also include vitamins A and D, a butterlike flavoring, salt and a bit of yellow coloring.
Vegetable oil is used to provide the fat content in most margarines. Soybean oil is used most often although some manufacturers use corn, cottonseed, palm, peanut or safflower oils. Animal fat is used to produce some brands of margarine.
Emulsified melted oils are mixed with milk or water and then chilled until the margarine hardens. In modern margarine plants machines produce the product, shape, wrap and then package it in one continuous operation.
Margarine is sold in quarter pound sticks and in small plastic tubs. Large blocks are also produced for bakeries. A liquid form of the product is also available in plastic squeeze bottles.
Congress placed a tax on margarine in 1886 to discourage sales. People still purchased the product, however, and the tax was finally taken off in 1950.
Many restrictions had been placed on margarine. During the 1930s, many states banned the sale of yellow colored margarine. By 1967, however, all state bans on colored margarine had ended.
Margarine sales have more than doubled from the mid¬1950s to the mid 1970s since many of the restrictions imposed through efforts by members of the dairy industry had been lifted. Both industries now get along well together, since each fills an important consumer need.