Old Familiar Memories - Photo 142

Margarine Tax Stamps

When margarine first came out the butter lobby came out in force and descended on congress. Protect us against cheaper margarine. Laws were passed both nationally and by states. Restaurant who used the cheaper margarine has to post on their menu in Green one inch high letters that they used margarine. In 1902 32 states had laws against margarine using the color yellow. Some allowed it to be colored green only. In 1950 President Harry Truman put an end to such nonsense. Wisconsin, the cheese state, was the last anti-margarine state hold out (till 1967), but it continued to forbid margarine in public places (unless requested; as of Sept. 2011). By 1957, sales of margarine exceeded those of butter. Margarine still outsells butter today. And, in a bizarre reversal, butter manufacturers now regularly dye butter yellow.