I don't really remember why I looked up "margarine" on Wikipedia.
This happens to me often. I look up something on Wikipedia, get distracted, then find the open tab later and wonder why I looked it up in the first place. Today's mystery subject happened to be "margarine". I found this interesting, anyway.
In the United States, the color bans, drafted by the butter lobby, began in the dairy states of New York and New Jersey. In several states, the legislature enacted laws to force margarine manufacturers to add pink colorings to make the product look unpalatable[2], but the Supreme Court struck down New Hampshire's law and overruled these measures. By the start of the 20th century, eight out of ten Americans could not buy yellow margarine, and those that could had to pay a hefty tax on it. Bootleg colored margarine became common, and manufacturers began to supply food-coloring capsules so that the consumer could knead the yellow color into margarine before serving it. Nevertheless, the regulations and taxes had a significant effect: the 1902 restrictions on margarine color, for example, cut annual U.S. consumption from 120 million to 48 million pounds (54,000 to 22,000 tons). However, by the end of the 1910s, it had become more popular than ever.
I'm amused that things have changed so much, acceptable food-color wise, in a century. Back then, pink margarine was considered unpalatable; a few years ago (and perhaps it is still available, I've only purchased Earth Balance for years so I don't browse the margarine section), squeeze margarine was available in pink and blue, as well as ketchup in purple and green and blue Spongebob Squarepants Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
I also love the idea of "bootleg" margarine. I just imagine folks heading down to the dangerous part of town, all furtive and jumpy, jonesing for their marge.
In the United States, the color bans, drafted by the butter lobby, began in the dairy states of New York and New Jersey. In several states, the legislature enacted laws to force margarine manufacturers to add pink colorings to make the product look unpalatable[2], but the Supreme Court struck down New Hampshire's law and overruled these measures. By the start of the 20th century, eight out of ten Americans could not buy yellow margarine, and those that could had to pay a hefty tax on it. Bootleg colored margarine became common, and manufacturers began to supply food-coloring capsules so that the consumer could knead the yellow color into margarine before serving it. Nevertheless, the regulations and taxes had a significant effect: the 1902 restrictions on margarine color, for example, cut annual U.S. consumption from 120 million to 48 million pounds (54,000 to 22,000 tons). However, by the end of the 1910s, it had become more popular than ever.
I'm amused that things have changed so much, acceptable food-color wise, in a century. Back then, pink margarine was considered unpalatable; a few years ago (and perhaps it is still available, I've only purchased Earth Balance for years so I don't browse the margarine section), squeeze margarine was available in pink and blue, as well as ketchup in purple and green and blue Spongebob Squarepants Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
I also love the idea of "bootleg" margarine. I just imagine folks heading down to the dangerous part of town, all furtive and jumpy, jonesing for their marge.