Origins of margarine

Margarine, a pale yellow fat commonly found in refrigerators and used in breakfasts and pastry recipes, was invented in 1869 by Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès. The invention was prompted by a competition launched by Napoleon III to find a cheap substitute for butter, driven by concerns over food logistics and national sovereignty.

Mège-Mouriès’s formula

Mège-Mouriès developed a formula using milk, water, and beef fat, which he called oleomargarine. He filed a patent for this invention on July 15, 1869, which was granted on October 2 of the same year for a period of fifteen years.

War delays progress

However, the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 delayed the commercial exploitation of the patent. Mège-Mouriès, financially strained, sold his rights to the Dutch industrialist Antoon Jurgens in 1871 for 60,000 francs.

Formation of Margarine Unie

Jurgens, recognizing the commercial potential of the invention, partnered with another Dutch industrialist, Van den Bergh, to form a company that would later be named Margarine Unie. In 1929-1930, Margarine Unie merged with Lever Brothers to form the global giant Unilever.

Legacy and wealth disparity

The company's archives confirm that Jurgens acquired the margarine patent from Mège-Mouriès in 1871, leading to the eventual formation of Unilever. Despite his foundational role in the invention, Mège-Mouriès received only a fraction of the wealth generated by the product's global success.