science · 15 July 1869 · 155 years ago
In 1869, margarine was patented by Hippolyte Mège Mouriés in France (No. 86489). He won the contest held by Emperor Napoleon III to find a substitute for butter used by the French Navy. HisH formula included a fatty component that mixed to a pearly luster, so he named his product after the Greek word for pearl - margaritari. His margarine was manufactured from tallow. Although the prize winner, it was not until F. Boudet patented a process for emulsifying it with skimmed milk and water (1872) that magarine was made sufficiently palatable to be a commercial success. The U.S. dairy industry opposed the introduction of margarine in the U.S. For years, they pressed Congress for many legislative restrictions on its production.
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