Et moderne produkt med et tvilsomt rykte. Norsk margarin 1860 til 1940

Abstract

This chapter describes and analyzes the invention of a product – margarine – and its introduction in Norway. The cheap, artificial butter became an immediate success with customers. Farmers and dairies, on the other hand, saw margarine as a challenging competitor that had to be countered and restricted. Through legislation and regulations, serious obstacles were put in the way of both production and sales. Producers had to tailor the presence and promotion of margarine to the political system, its commercial surroundings and product range. During the 1920s and 1930s the situation changed. First, margarine become an object of taxation; later it became a container for increasing amounts of butter. The price of margarine rose, and the agricultural sector was supported in a way that benefitted the whole sector. The chapter describes margarine’s transformation from a problem and a political challenge to a common good and everyday commodity. Furthermore, it discusses the societal negotiations that these changes caused.