21 



OLEOMARGARINE. 



The national law has made the term "oleomargarine" apply 

 to all forms of artificial butter or butter substitutes, and 

 requires them to be stamped as such. By this law oleo- 

 margarine includes "all manufactured substances heretofore 

 known as oleomargarine, oleo oil, oleomargarine oil, butter- 

 ine, lardine, suine and neutral; all lard extracts and tallow 

 extracts ; all mixtures and compounds of tallow, beef, fat, 

 suet, lard, lard oil, vegetable oils, etc.," so that each of these 

 substances, either alone or in mixtures, is classed under the 

 head of oleomargarine. 



Early History. 



In 1866-67* M. Mege-Mouries or Hippolyte Mege, at the 

 solicitation of the French Government, was engaged in inves- 

 tigating several questions of domestic economy, and was 

 invited to make experiments as to how far it was possible to 

 manufacture a butter for the navy department and the 

 poorer classes, which would be cheaj)er than butter and with- 

 out any rancid taste. 



The product he obtained was of a slightly yellow color, 

 with a taste resembling neither tallow nor fat ; and under the 

 name of margarine was used extensively for kitchen purposes. 

 He churned the melted fat with finely-chopped, fresh cow's 

 udders, and to give the ordinary fiavor of butter, milk or 

 cream was added. He gave to the product the name of oleo- 

 margarine. On this process he took out a patent in England 

 in 1869 and in the United States in 1873. 



Mege had a factory at Poissy, near Paris, and manufact- 

 ured oleomargarine for the markets of that city, and the 

 Council of Health of the Department of the Seine admitted 

 the new product as a legitimate food product, on condition 

 that it should not be sold as butter. 



* The date is also 'avcn as 1869. 



