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Spurred in part by shortages in the supply of beef fat in the early 20th century, advances in hydrogenation of plant materials and the ability to harden oils improved on the product, leading to the first plant-based margarines. Unlike early spreads, which relied mostly on ingredients like beef fat and lard, later experiments with vegetable oils achieved more success. That company would later merge with the Lever Brothers to become Unilever. Jurgens joined with competitor Van den Bergh to form Margarine Unie. In 1871, Dutch company Jurgens bought the patent for margarine from Mege-Mouries and manufactured the first non-dairy spread. French chemist Hippolyte Mege-Mouries created “oleomargarine,” shortened to “margarine,” using beef tallow. Due to food shortages in 1869, Napoleon offered a prize for someone to develop a dairy butter alternative for the armed forces. Napoleon III, nephew of the more famous Napoleon I, was the first president of France from 1848-1852, but then declared himself emperor, becoming the last French monarch. The forces that have driven human food options and preferences go way beyond simple habit or taste, and no food showcases this better than plant-based margarines.
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The origins and evolution of plant-based margarines involve a lot more history - and dramatic changes in how people eat - than you might expect. What does Napoleon III have to do with the development of margarine? Quite a lot, as it turns out.
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The surprising evolution of plant-based margarine