My friend, Jeanne, loaned me her old nutrition textbook to look over. She knew I would find some very interesting tid-bits in there. What especially caught her eye was the definition of Margarine back then…
First read the present day, more “PC” (politically correct) definition from Wikipedia:
Margarine, as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter substitutes. In many parts of the world, margarine has become the best-selling table spread, although butter and olive oil also command large market shares. Margarine is an ingredient in the preparation of many other foods. In some regions people may refer to margarine as butter in informal speech, but in several countries laws forbid food packaging to refer to margarine as “butter”. Recipes sometimes refer to margarine as oleo.
Now read the definition from her textbook, originally written in 1940. (Lots of editions since that day, so I don’t know specifically when this part was added…)
Margarine is a plastic food made from one or more optional fat ingredients churned with cultured pasteurized skim milk. It is a water-in-fat emulsion and must contain not less than 80% fat according to the standard of identity for margarine that has been published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Soybean and cottonseed oils, refined and partially hydrogenated to produce a desired consistency, are extensively used in producing margarines.
Doesn’t sound very natural or appetizing does it?
First, it’s made with cultured pasteurized skim milk, not good. And they don’t tell you that soybean and cottonseed oils are made from genetically engineered crops. Also, remember, “partially hydrogenated” means trans fats.
What else? Please jump in with more reasons margarine is gross!
- Read more about why butter is good for you.
- Read “Get Rid of the Bad Fats in Your Kitchen!”
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Christy 03.09.09 at 8:09 am
Ummm, plastic? That should be enough right there for anybody to never eat it again!! Plastic food is what my children play with in their play kitchen. Even they know not to really eat it!
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nonegiven 03.09.09 at 1:33 pm
I was 15 or 16 before I found out margarine wasn’t butter. My aunt sent her soon to be son in law to the store for butter then made fun of him because he came back with butter.
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Princess Edamame 03.09.09 at 3:13 pm
Um, let’s remember that “plastic” also means “malleable”, which I am sure is the context for theis textbook definition, as at the time, the marketing was that margarine is spreadable. Also, at the time, I’m betting that the soy and cottonseed weren’t GM – my guess is this language was inserted in the ’60s.
That said, however, fake butter = gross!
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Shauna 03.09.09 at 8:30 pm
interesting……
the old version is a “just the facts ma’am”
whereas the new version is a slick marketing piece!
interesting…..
Shauna’s last blog post..Running Blog
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