Margarine

Margarine

Margarine (in Hebrew, “מרגרינה”) has a reputation built from two completely different eras, and most people still remember the first:

• Until the 2000s — margarine was made by partial hydrogenation, a process that turned liquid oils into solids and in doing so created trans fats. These turned out to be the most harmful fat ever studied.
• Since then — regulation has changed the industry fundamentally, and today’s margarine is made differently and contains almost zero trans fat.

This is one of the few cases in which nutrition policy changed an entire product. The question today is not “margarine or not” but which margarine, and compared with what.

Nutrition facts per 100 grams

The decisive number: 15.9 grams of saturated fat in margarine vs. 51 grams in butter — three times as much. This is the most significant nutritional difference between the two, and it favors margarine.

The trans fat story — and what changed

In partial hydrogenation, unsaturated fat molecules undergo a structural change from the cis form to the trans form. The result is less liquid, more stable and has a longer shelf life — exactly what the industry was looking for.

And then it became clear what it does. Large cohort studies from the 1990s showed that trans fat raises LDL while lowering HDL — a combination no other fat produces — and raises inflammatory markers. Estimates attributed tens of thousands of heart disease deaths a year in the US alone to it.

The regulatory response was unusually strong: Denmark banned it in 2003, the US removed its “generally recognized as safe” status in 2015, and the World Health Organization called for its global elimination in 2018. In Israel it was restricted under food labeling regulations.

What replaces it today: The industry moved to interesterification (rearranging fatty acids) and to blending liquid oils with naturally saturated fats such as palm or coconut oil. The new problem this created: dependence on palm oil, which is about 50% saturated and has a significant environmental footprint.

The loophole that remains: Under some regulations it is permitted to list “0 grams trans fat” when the amount per serving is below 0.5 grams. The way to check is the ingredient list: “hydrogenated vegetable fat” or “partially hydrogenated” is the giveaway. A current product will say just “vegetable oils”.

Margarine or butter?

The answer depends on the margarine. In short:

• Soft tub margarine based on canola, olive or sunflower oil — better than butter in terms of fat profile. A third of the saturated fat, zero cholesterol, and usually fortified with vitamin D.
• Hard stick margarine based on palm oil — much closer to butter in its saturated fat profile, without butter’s advantages in taste. The least successful choice in the category.
• Butter — 51 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams. A natural, simple product, but dense in saturated fat. Recent reviews present a more complex picture than before regarding saturated fat from dairy products, but professional recommendations still call for limiting it.
• Olive oil — when the context allows, it is better than both: mainly monounsaturated, rich in polyphenols, and backed by an especially strong evidence base.

Benefits

• Three times less saturated fat than butter — 15.9 vs. 51 grams per 100 grams.
• Zero dietary cholesterol (the relevance of dietary cholesterol has diminished in recent years, but it is still a difference).
• Plenty of unsaturated fat: about 39 grams of monounsaturated and 24 grams of polyunsaturated fat per 100 grams.
• Fortification with vitamin A and vitamin D — in many countries this is a legal requirement, and margarine is a not-insignificant dietary source of vitamin D.
• Reduced-fat versions: half the calories of butter or full-fat margarine.
• Pareve and dairy-free — relevant for kosher observance, milk protein allergy, lactose intolerance and veganism.
• Price and shelf life — low and stable.

Downsides and considerations

• Palm oil. The ingredient that replaced hydrogenation in many products — about 50% saturated, with environmental consequences (rainforest clearing). Products based on canola or sunflower are better.
• Hard vs. soft margarine. The more solid the product is at room temperature, the more saturated fat it contains. The rule: choose a tub, not a stick.
• A processed product. Stabilizers, emulsifiers, flavorings and coloring — a hallmark of ultra-processed food. This is not a decisive health consideration on its own, but it is context.
• Sodium. 650-750 mg per 100 grams. There are unsalted versions.
• Calorie density. 717 calories per 100 grams — exactly like butter. “Less saturated” does not mean “fewer calories”.
• Residual trans fat — up to 0.5 grams per serving may still be hidden behind “0 grams”, as detailed above.
• Taste. On this point butter wins, and in some baking the difference is noticeable.

Practical use

• Choose a soft tub, not a hard stick. The simplest and most effective rule.
• Read the first oil on the list. Canola, olive or sunflower — good. Palm or coconut oil — less good.
• Look for “hydrogenated” in the ingredient list — and put the product back if it appears.
• Prefer olive oil wherever it fits — for light frying, in dressing, on bread. That is the real upgrade, not switching between margarine and butter.
• Don’t bake with reduced-fat versions. Their high water content ruins doughs; they are meant for spreading only.
• Check for vitamin D fortification — present in some products but not all.
• Measure. A teaspoon of margarine is 35 calories; a generous spread on a slice can be 100.

Summary

The margarine that people remember and fear no longer exists: trans fats have been almost completely removed from it following a global regulatory shift. Today’s margarine contains a third of the saturated fat of butter and zero cholesterol, and is usually fortified with vitamin D. Two practical rules sum it all up: choose a soft tub, not a hard stick (solidity = saturated fat), and read which oil comes first on the list — canola or olive, not palm. And above both: when the context allows, olive oil is better than either option.