EP 81 Margarine Misdeeds: Crimes Against Butter

From daring bootleggers to shocking corporate misdeeds and culinary espionage we uncover the criminal underbelly of oleo misadventures. 

Crimes Against Butter and the Margarine Misdeeds

Who knew that something as innocent as butter could ignite a war between industries and the public? The latest episode of the As We Eat podcast dives into the criminal underbelly surrounding a popular butter alternative.

Behind butter's sunny, wholesome facade lies a sordid tale of deception, bootlegging, and brazen lawbreaking - all thanks to an unlikely culprit: margarine. What began as a cheap butter alternative took an illicit turn as opponents of the "oleo" spread resorted to smear campaigns and oppressive legislation.

The Oleomargarine Act and the Birth of Butter Bootleggers

The Oleomargarine Act was no joking matter. If you were convicted of Crimes Against Butter, you could face hefty fines and imprisonment like John L. McMonigle, Charles Wille, and Joseph Wirth.

In 1886, the dairy lobby strong-armed the federal government into passing the Oleomargarine Act, imposing a hefty tax to cripple the margarine industry. Little did they know, this move would give rise to a daring new breed of criminal: the butter bootlegger.

Much like the legendary rum-runners of Prohibition fame, underground networks sprung up to smuggle the "golden bars" of margarine across state lines. Daring housewives turned interstate traffickers, risking fines and imprisonment in their quest for the forbidden spread.

As the margarine wars escalated, congress continually ratcheted up regulations. Some states outright banned the sale of margarine - yeah, you read that right. In response, the underworld adapted, employing stamp counterfeiting and other chicanery to peddle their illicit wares.

Don’t mess with this official document, or will end up like John, Charles or Joseph - see abot

Ultimately, the oppressive measures backfired spectacularly. World wars and economic turmoil only increased margarine's popularity with the working class. But the skirmishes left a trail of oleomargarine offenders in their wake, their "crimes against butter" immortalized alongside legendary mobsters and gangsters.

Leigh’s mom remembers fighting with her sisters for the distinct opportunity to massage the color button into the margarine. Did you experience similar sibling oelo rivalries?

Consumer Protection to Modern Misdeeds

While the margarine saga highlights the unintended consequences of excessive regulation, it also underscores the vital need for laws to protect consumers from unscrupulous practices and public health threats.

The 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act aimed to safeguard the public by prohibiting adulterated and misbranded foods and landmark court cases cemented definitions and standards.

These laws continue protecting us today from corporate greed, food adulteration, and new frontiers of malfeasance like culinary espionage. One thing's for sure: after hearing these sordid tales of Food & Crime, you'll never look at your butter dish the same way again.

Episode Transcript

🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧

• The Butter Wars: When Margarine Was Pink

• What the History of Margarine Can Teach Us About Current Plant-Based Battles

• Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova
  Purchase: Bookshop.org OR Amazon

• Sheboygan County Connection IV: From Vollrath Zoo to Wisconsin's Margarine Wars by Sheboygan County Historical Research Center
  Purchase: Bookshop.org OR Amazon 

• The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine by Mark Twain, Phillip C. Stead, Erin Stead (illustrator)

  Purchase: Bookshop.org OR Amazon (OK this last one has absolutely nothing to do with the Oleomargarine Act, but Hello, it was an unfinished story by Mark Twain which was beautifully completed and illustrated by the husband and wife team of the Caldecott Medal-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee. And it has Oleomargarine in the name, we would be silly not to include it!)

Join us in two weeks as Kim takes us a journey through eggy espionage in the war against another alternative spread.

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