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OLEOMAKGARINE BUTTER: 
 
 THE NEW ARTICLE OF COMMERCE. 
 
 CHEMICALLY ANALYZED BY THE MOST SKILLFUL AND DISTINGUISHED 
 
 SCIENTISTS, 
 
 Demois^strati^g its Purity. 
 
 A'.vard of the Americ<\n Institute, and Opinions of Prof. C. F. Chandler, President oj 
 the Ne'.v York Hoard of Health ; Prof. George F. Barker, of the University of Pennsyl- 
 vania ; Dr. Henry A. Mott, Jr., of New York; Prof. S. C. Caldwell, of Cornell 
 University ; Prof. S. W. Johnson, of Yale College; Prof. C. A. Goessmann, of 
 the Massachusetts Agricultural College ; Prof. Henry Morton, of the 
 Stevens Institute of Technology, of Hoboken ; Dr. Charles P. Wh.liams, 
 of Philadelphia ; Prof. Atwatrr, of the Wesleynn University, and 
 Prof. Arnold, oy the University of New York. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 COMMERCIAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 
 
 48th Street and Nokth River, 
 
 1880. 
 
0LE0MAEGAEI5E BUTTEB: 
 
 THE NEW ARTICLE OF COMMERCE, 
 
 CHEMICALLY ANALYZED BY THE MOST SKILLFUL AKD DISTINGXJISnED 
 
 SCIENTISTS, 
 
 Demois^steati^^g its Purity, 
 
 / 
 
 Award of the American Institute, attd Opinions of Pkof. C. F. Chandler, President of 
 the New York Board of Health ; Prof. George F, Barker, of the University of Pennsyl- 
 vania ; Dr. Henry A. Mott, Jr., of New York ; Prof. S. C. Caldwell, of Cornell 
 University ; Prof. S. W. Johnson, of Yale College; Prof. C. A. Goessmann, of 
 the Massachusetts Agricultural College ; Prof. Henry Morton, of the 
 Stezie7is Institute of Technology^ of Hoboken ; Dr. Charles P. Williams, 
 l^f*^ ' of PJiiladelphia ; Pro?. Atwater, of the Wesley an University, and 
 
 ' '^' I Prof. Arnold, of the University of New York. 
 
 V 
 
 NEW YOEK: 
 COMMERCIAL MAKUFACTURING COMPANY, 
 
 4:8th Street and North Eiver, 
 ' 1S80. 
 

OLEOMARGARINE BUTTER. 
 
 Answer of Prof. Chandler to a Congressional Inquiry. 
 
 Hon. Morgan K. Wise of Pennsylvania, Chairman 
 of the Committee on Manufactures, of the House of 
 Kepresentatives, addressed a ietter to Prof. Charles F. 
 Chandler, President of the New York Board of Health, 
 informing him that tlie Committee lias under considera- 
 tion a bill in relation to adulterations in food and drink, 
 and askinoj whether the article known as Oleomaro-arine, 
 or Butterine is wholesome or unwholesome, and for such 
 other information as might be in the possession of the 
 Board. The following is Prof. Chandler's response: 
 
 Health Depaktment, 301 Mott Street, 
 New York, Ifarch 2?, 1880. 
 My Dear Sir : 
 
 In reply to your letter of inquiry, I would say that I 
 have been familiar with the discovery of Mege Mouries 
 and its application in the manufacture of artificial butter, 
 called '' Butterine," or " Oleomargarine," since the date 
 of its first publication. 
 
I have frequently seen it manufactured, witnessing all 
 the operations, and examining both tlie material and the 
 product. 
 
 I liave studied the subject with special reference to 
 the question of its use as food, in comparison with the 
 ordinary butter made from cream, and have satisfied 
 myself that it is quite as valuable as the butter from 
 the cow ; that the material from which it is manufactured 
 is pei'fectly fresh beef suet; that the processes are harm- 
 less; that the manufacture is conducted with great clean- 
 liness. The product is palatable and wholesome, and I 
 regard it as a most valuable article of food, and consider 
 the discovery of Mege Mouries as marking an era in the 
 chemistr}^ of the fats. 
 
 Butterine is manufactured of uniform quality the year 
 round, and can Ije sold at a price far below that at which 
 ordinary ])utter is sold. It does not readily become 
 rancid, and is free from the objectionable taste and odor 
 which characterize a large proportion of the butter sold 
 in this market. 
 
 I am informed thattliere are at present thirteen factories 
 in the United States licensed under the patents to manu- 
 facture this butter. Tlie Commercial ManufacturinQj 
 Company of New York is making at the present from 
 30,000 to 40,000 lbs. daily. In addition to this industry, 
 there is a large manufacture of what is known as 
 " oleomargarine oil," which is shipped as such to Europe, 
 to be there converted into butter; so tliat this product 
 has become an important article of export to foreign 
 countries. 
 
 The beef suet which was formerly converted into com- 
 mon tallow, only suital)le for the manufacture of soap, is, 
 by this beautiful discovery, now manufactured into oleo- 
 
margarine oil and stearine of double the value of the 
 tallow formerly produced. The following analyses made 
 by Drs. Brown and Mott sufficiently illustrate the com- 
 position of the Butterine : 
 
 Ciiiistitiients. 
 
 No. 1. 
 
 Natural 
 Butter. 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 Artificial 
 Butter. 
 
 Water 11,968 11,203 
 
 Butter solids 88,032 88,797 
 
 fOlein 
 
 Palmatin. 
 
 Insol. fats <| Stearine . 
 
 Arachin . 
 
 ^ Myristin . 
 
 ( Butyrin . 
 
 Sol. fats ^Caprin.. 
 
 1^ Caprylin 
 
 Casein 
 
 Salt 
 
 100.000 100.000 
 23.824 24.893 
 
 51.422 56.29 
 
 7.432 
 
 .192 
 5.1G2 
 Coloring matter Trace. 
 
 1.823 
 
 ,621 
 
 5.162 
 
 Trace. 
 
 88.032 88.797 
 
 Last winter a resolution was adopted by the Legis- 
 lature of the State of New York, requesting the Board 
 of Health of the City of New York to investigate the 
 subject and report whether in its opinion the Butterine 
 is a wholesome article of food. In response to this 
 resolution, the Board of Health stated that in its opinion 
 there is no sanitary objection whatever to the unrestricted 
 manufacture and sale of this substance. 
 
 In support of my opinion herein expressed, I enclose 
 the statement to the same effect made by Prof. George 
 F. Barker, of the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Henry 
 A. Mott, Jr., of Ne^v York; Prof. S. C. Caldwell, of 
 Cornell University; Prof. S.W. Johnson, of Yale College; 
 Prof. C. A. Goessmann, of the Massachusetts Agri- 
 cultural College; Prof. Henry Morton, of the Stevens 
 
6 
 
 Institute of Teclmology, of Hoboken; Dr. Clias. 
 P. Williams of Pliiladelpliia ; Prof. W. O. Atwater, of 
 the Wesleyau University at Middletown, Conn.; and 
 Prof. J. W. S. Arnold, of the Medical Department of 
 the University of New York. 
 
 Hoping that this, my reply, contains all tlie infoi*ma- 
 tion you desire, I remain, 
 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 
 ClI. F. ClIANDLEE, Ph.D., 
 
 Prest. of the Board of Health. 
 
 To Hon. M. E. Wise, 
 
 Chairman of the Committee on Manufactvres, 
 House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. 
 
 (^Letter from Prof. Barlcer.^ 
 
 UisrivEnsiTY OF Pennsylvania, 1 
 
 Philadelphia, March 22, 1880. j 
 The United States Dairy Co. : 
 
 Gentlemen : — In reply to your inquiry, I would say 
 that I have been acquainted for several years \vith the 
 discovery of Mege-Mouries for producing Butterine 
 from oleomargarine fat. In theory, the process should 
 yield a product resembling butter in all essential respects, 
 having identically the same fatty constituents. The 
 Butterine prejoared under the inventor's patents is, there- 
 fore, in my opinion, quite as valuable a nutritive agent 
 as butter itself. In practice, the process of manufacture, 
 as I have witnessed it, is conducted with care and great 
 cleanliness. The Butterine produced is pure and of 
 excellent quality, is perfectly wholesome, and is desirable 
 as an article of food. I can see no reason why Butterine 
 should not be an entirely satisfactory equivalent for 
 ordinary butter, ^vhether considered from the physio- 
 logical or commercial standpoint. 
 
 Kespectfully yours, 
 
 GEOBGE F. BARKER. 
 
{Letter from Prof, Morton?) 
 
 Stevens Institute of Technology, 
 HoBOKEN, New Jeksey, March 16, 1880 
 United States Dairy Co. : 
 
 Gentlemen : — During the last three years I have had 
 occasion to examine the product known as artificial 
 butter, Oleomargarine, or Butterine, first produced by 
 M. Mege, of Paris, and described by him in his patent 
 of July 17th, 1869. 
 
 I have also frequently witnessed the manufacture of 
 this material, and with these opportunities of knowing 
 exactly what it is, I am able to say with confidence that 
 it contains nothing whatever which is injurious as an 
 article of diet; but, on the contrary, is essentially identi- 
 cal with the best f]-esh butter, and is very superior to 
 much of tlie butter made from cream alone which is 
 found in the market. 
 
 The conditions of its manufacture involve a degree of 
 cleanliness and consequent purity in the product, such as 
 are by no means necessarily or genei'ally attained in the 
 ordinary making of butter from ci'eani. 
 
 Yours, etc., 
 
 HENEY MORTON. 
 
 {Letter from Prof. Jolmson.') 
 
 Sheffield Scientific School of Yale College 
 New Haven, Connecticut, March 20th, 1880." 
 The United States Dairy Co. : 
 
 Gentlemen : — I am acquainted with the process dis- 
 covered by M. Mege, for j)roducing the article known in 
 commerce as Oleomargarine or Butterine. 
 
 I have witnessed the manufacture in all its stages, as 
 carried out on the large scale, and I can assert that when 
 it is conducted according to the specifications of M. Mege, 
 it cannot fail to yield a product that is entirely attractive 
 
imd wholesome as food, and one tliat is for all ordinary 
 culinary and nutritive purposes the full equivalent of 
 good butter made from cream. 
 
 Oleomargarine Butter has the closest resemblance to 
 butter made from cream in its external qualities— color, 
 flavor, and texture. It has the same appearance under 
 the microscope, and in chemical composition differs not 
 in the nature, but only in the proportions of its com- 
 ponents. It is therefore fair to pronounce them essentially 
 identical. 
 
 While Oleomargarine contains less of those flavoring 
 principles which characterize the choicest butter, it is, 
 perhaps, for that very reason, comparatively free from the 
 tendency to change and taint which speedily renders a 
 large proportion of butter unfit for human food. 
 
 I regard the manufacture of Oleomargarine or 
 Butterine as a legitimate and beneficent industry. 
 
 S. W. JOHNSON, 
 
 Professor of Theoretical and Agricultural Chemistry ; Director of the 
 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. 
 
 {Letter from Prof. Caldwell^ 
 
 Chemical Laboratory, Cornell University, 
 Ithaca, N. Y., March 20, 1880. 
 
 I have witnessed, in all its stages, the maaiufacture 
 of "Oleomargarine" and of Oleomargarine Butter or 
 " Butterine." 
 
 The process for Oleomargarine when properly conducted, 
 as in tlie works of the Commercial Manufacturing Co., 
 is cleanly throughout, and includes every reasonable 
 precaution necessary to secure a product entirely free 
 from animal tissue, or any other impurity, and which 
 shall consist of pure fat made up of tlie fats commonly 
 known as oleine and margarine. It is, when thus 
 prepared, a tasteless and inodorous substance, possessing 
 
no qualities whatever that can make it in the least 
 degree unwholesome when used in reasonable quantities 
 as an article of food. 
 
 In the manufacture of Butterine, since nothing but 
 milk, annotto, and salt, together with perhaps a little 
 water from clean ice, are added to this Oleomargarine, 
 to be intimately mixed with it by churning and other 
 operations, I have no hesitation in affirming that this 
 also, when properly made according to the Mege patent 
 and other patents held by the United States Dairy Co., 
 and when used in reasonable quantities, is a perfectly 
 wholesome article of food ; and that, while not equal to 
 fine butter in respect to flavor, it nevertheless contains 
 all the essential ingredients of butter, and since it 
 contains a smaller proportion of volatile fats than is 
 found in genuine butter, it is, in my opinion, less liable 
 to become rancid. 
 
 It cannot enter into competition with fine butter ; but 
 in so far as it may serve to drive poor butter out of the 
 market, its manufacture will be a public benefit. 
 
 S. C. CALDWELL. 
 
 (^Letter from Prof. Goessmann.) 
 
 Amherst, Mass., March 20, 1880. 
 United States Daiky Co., New York : 
 
 Gentlemen: — I have visited, on the 17th and 18th of 
 the present month, your factory, on West Forty-eighth 
 Street, for the purpose of studying your mode of applying 
 Mege's discovery for the manufacture of Oleomargarine 
 Butter or Butterine. A careful examination into the 
 character of the material turned to account, as well as 
 into the details of the entire management of the manu- 
 facturing operation, has convinced me that your product 
 is made with care, and furnishes thus a wholesome 
 article of food. Your Oleomargarine Butter or Butterine 
 
10 
 
 compares in general appearance and in taste very favor- 
 al)ly with the average quality of the better kinds of the 
 dairy butter in our markets. In its composition it 
 resembles that of the ordinary dairy butter ; and in its 
 keeping quality, under corresponding circumstances, I 
 believe it will surj)ass the former; for it contains a 
 smaller percentage of those constituents (glycerides of 
 volatile acids) which, in the main, cause the well known 
 rancid taste and odor of a stored butter. 
 
 I am very respectfully yours, 
 
 C. A. GOESSMANN, Ph.D., 
 
 Professor of Chemistry. 
 
 (^Letter from Dr. Wilh'ams.) 
 
 Laboratory, I^o. 912 Samson Street, 
 
 Philadelphia, Jlarch, 22, 1880. 
 
 During a period of upwards of two years I have been 
 practically familiar with the details of the manufacture 
 by the Mege method of Oleomargarine Butter or " But- 
 terine." From my experience and observation of the 
 care and cleanliness absolutely necessar}^ in the manu- 
 facture of tliis product, together with my knowledge of 
 its composition, I am satisfied that it is a pure and 
 wholesome article of food, and in this respect, as well as 
 in respect to its chemical composition, fully the equivalent 
 of the best quality of dairy butter. 
 
 I will add further, that, owing to the presence of a 
 less quantity of the volatile fats, the kee])ing qualities 
 of the Oleomargarine Butter are far superior to those of 
 the dairy product. 
 
 CHARLES P. WILLIAMS, Ph.D., 
 
 Analyltical Chemist; late Director and Professor Missoxtri School of Mines, 
 
 State University. 
 
11 
 
 (^Letter from Dr. Mott.) 
 
 11. A. Mott, Jr., Ph.D., E.M., 
 Analytical and Consulting Chemist. 
 
 Office, 117 Wall Street, 
 
 New York, March 12, 1880. 
 United States Dairy Co.: 
 
 Gentlemen : — Having l)een acquainted for the past six 
 years with the process of the manufacture of the product 
 called Oleomargarine Butter, or Butterine, and having 
 made numerous microscopical and chemical examinations 
 of the product, I am clearly of the opinion that the 
 product called Oleomargarine Butter is essentially 
 identical with butter made from cream ; and as the 
 former contains less of those fats which, when decom- 
 posed, render tlie product rancid, it can be kept pure 
 and sweet for a much longer time. 
 
 I consider the product of the Mege discovery a per- 
 fectly pure and wholesome article of food, which is 
 destined to supplant the inferior grades of butter, and 
 be placed side by side with the best product of the 
 creamery. 
 
 Respectfully, 
 
 HENKY A. MOTT, Jr., Ph.D. 
 
 (^Letter from Prof. Arnold.) 
 
 University Physiological Laboratory, 
 410 East 26th St., April 2, 1880. 
 
 This is to certify that I have carefully examined the 
 "Mege Patent Pi-ocess" for the manufacture of Oleo- 
 margarine Butter or Butterine ; that I have seen and 
 tasted at the factory each and every ingredient 
 employed ; that I have made thorough microscopical 
 examinations of the materials used and of the butter; 
 and I consider that each and every article employed in 
 
12 
 
 the manufacture of Oleomargarine Butter or Bntterine 
 is perfectly pure and wholesome ; that the Olec^margarine 
 Butter differs in no essential manner from l)utter made 
 from cream ; in fact, the Oleomargarine Butter possesses 
 the advantage over natural butter of not decomposing 
 so readily, as it contains fewer volatile fats. In my 
 opinion, Oleomargarine is to be considered a great dis- 
 covery, a blessing for the poor, and in every way a 
 perfectly pure, ^vholesome, and palatable article of food. 
 
 J. W. S. ABNOLD, A.M., M.D., 
 
 Prof. Physiology and Histology,, Med. Dep. Univ. New York. 
 
 (^Letter from, Prof. Atwater.) 
 
 Wesleyan Univeksity, 
 MiDDLETOWN, CoNN., Marcli, 29, 1880. 
 
 I have carefully looked into the theory and the 
 practice of the manufacture of Butterine (Oleomai'garine) 
 by the " Mege process," and examined the product. A 
 consideration of the materials used, the process of manu- 
 facture, and the chemical and microscopical character of 
 the Butterine, seem to me to fully justify the following 
 statements : 
 
 As to its qualitative composition, it contains essentially 
 the same ingi-edients as natural butter from cows' milk. 
 
 Quantitatively, it differs from ordinary butter in 
 having but little of the volatile fats which, while they 
 are agreeable in flavor, are, at the same time, liable to 
 rancidity. I should, accordingly, expect Butterine to 
 keep better than ordinary butter. The best evidence 
 within my reach indicates that just such is the case. 
 The butterine is perfectly wliolesome and healthy, and 
 has a high nutritious value. The same entirely favorable 
 opinion I find expressed by the most prominent European 
 
13 
 
 authorities — English, French and German— who are 
 unanimous in their high estimate of the value of the 
 " Mege discovery," and approval of the material whose 
 production has thereby been made practicable. 
 
 I am very truly yours, 
 
 W. O. ATWATER. 
 
 Award of the American Institute. 
 
 Office of the General Superintendent of the ] 
 
 American Institute of the City of ISFew York, >- 
 
 New York, Marcli 24th, 1880. ) 
 
 Copy of the Judges' Re]iort in Depai'tment VIL, Group 3, 
 at the Forty-seventh Exhibition of the American 
 Institute, held in the City of New York, October 
 and November, 1878. 
 
 No. 879.— OLEOMARGAEINE BUTTER. 
 Commercial Manufacturing Co., 
 
 643 West 4Sth Street, JVetv Yorl. 
 
 The Oleomargarine Butter (Mege's process), has the 
 general appearance of the usual style of good dairy 
 butter. The texture presents some slight difference to 
 the eye of an expert. The absence of some of the 
 elements which give the peculiar aroma to the best 
 quality of spring grass butter, tends to prevent the 
 approach of any unpleasant change in this article, and 
 it is thus enabled to resist the effects of time, as upon a 
 long sea voyage. 
 
 We have examined the process of manufacture, and 
 find the product clean and wholesome. 
 
 "While the best quality of dairy butter must still 
 maintain its superiority, any departure from the most 
 perfect manufacture will make the Oleomargarine a 
 dano-erous rival. 
 
14 
 
 This process utilizes valuable animal products, and 
 makes useful in the kitchen and upon the dining-table 
 nuicli that was formerly used for less important purposes 
 and for this and its keeping qualities it should receive 
 some recognition ])y the Institute. 
 
 A. S. Heatu, M.D., ] 
 
 E.0BT. J. Dodge, \ Judges. 
 
 "VViLLET Seaman. 
 
 The Medal of Excellence Awarded. 
 A true copy of the Keport on file. 
 
 D. E. GARDEN, 
 
 Assistant Qlerlc. 
 
 
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