And so was the rise and fall of margarine. It was developed in response to animal fat supply shortages in the nineteenth century and didn’t truly become popular until nearly a century later, when people began avoiding animal fats for perceived health reasons. It then fell out of favour 60 years later as federal governments – the very same ones that supported its original development – cracked down on trans fatty acids. It is yet another example of the complicated road we pave when we process foods.
