MARGARINE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 247, 18 October 1926, Page 4

MARGARINE.

DOES IT COMPETE WITH BUTTER? NOT AN EFFECTIVE SUBSTITUTE. SAYS IMPERAL ECONOMIC COMMITTEE. It is more than likely that one of the results of the industrial depression existing in the coal-producing areas of Great Britain has been an increased use of margarine in place of butter. In this connection the findings of the Imperial Economic Committee in regard to this particular industry are of special interest. Originally margarine was manufactured almost wholly from animal fats, but as these became more valuable through cold storage facilities vegetable oils gradually became established as a basis of margarine manufacture. How it is Made. By the end of the wa an average quality of margarine consisted of animal and vegetable products in the ratio of three to seven—an inversion of the prewar proportions. At the present time, says the report, certain qualities of margarine do not contain any animal fats at all, while in others the proportion is quite high, amounting to about 40 per cent, the average for the whole being in the neighbourhood of 10 per cent. The animal fats most generally employed in the industry are lard, oleo, premier jus, and stearine. The vegetable oils are either hard oils, such aa coconut and palm kernel oils, or soft oils, 6uch as ground nut, soya bean, and cot-ton-seed oils. Moreover, the soft oils can, if necessary, be hardened by a process in which they are caused to combine directly with hydrogen under pressure. The proportions in which hard and soft oils are ueed vary with the season of the year. Naturally, during warm weather a stronger textured product is desired. Its Increased Use. The remarkable growth of the margarine industry is seen from the following comparative table showing the consumption of margarine per head of population during 1913 and 1924: — 1913. 1924. United Kingdom 7.76 11.77 Holland 4.40 15.69 Germany 7.03 12.34 Belgium 3.32 7.412 Prance 0.88 1.54 Denmark 33.06 45.63 Norway 24.03 35.27 Sweden 9.92 12.27 It is considered that the consumption of margarine in the United Kingdom increased from 159,500 tons in 1913 to over 210,000 tons at the present time. Lacks Vitamins. As to the food values of butter and margarine the report continues: There is but little difference in the fat and protein contents and the calorific equivalents of the two substances are approximately equal. It is in regard to vitamin values, however, that these two foodstuffs differ so widely. In our dairyproduce report we refer to the importance of the vitamin content of butter and cheese in relation to growth and health. Here it is sufficient to say that, while butter manufactured from the milk of cows which have been suitably pasture-fed, is rich in the growth-pro-moting and antirachitic (i.e., the fat soluble) vitamins, margarine, as at present manufactured from vegetable oils, is almost entirely devoid of both. As Trade Competitor. On the question of the relative popularity of margarine and butter some witnesses have expressed the view that the consumption of margarine has probably reached its maximum. It has also been suggested that should the price of butter rise above 2/6 per lb, the consumer would probably prefer to buy what butter he could afford rather than turn to margarine, and that, on the other hand, if the price of butter fell below 1/6 per lb, the demand for margarine would probably contract. While we do not necessarily accept this view as final we recognise that price is an important factor and that the relative demands for the two commodities depend chiefly on the purchasing power of the public. All previous calculations would, however, need to be reconsidered in the event of research providing a cheap and palatable oil rich in vitamin content and suitable for incorporation in margarine. Margarine in its original form was produced solely as a substitute for butter. At the present time not only is it used by large sections of the population for this purpose, bu.t in the form ot "compound lard" it is also widely used in the preparation of food. We consider, however, that margarine, as at present constituted, can only be regarded in the light of an auxiliary foodstuff and should not be considered as an effective substitute for butter or lard.