University of Wisconsin - Extension

MADISON, Wis.—An email has been making the rounds via the internet making alarming statements about the safety and composition of margarine. “Most of these emails are full of misinformation,” says Susan Nitzke, Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Extension. “Statements like margarine is just one molecule away from plastic or margarine would normally be black if they didn’t bleach it are nonsense,” says Nitzke.

These days, the Nutrition Facts panels on package labels have an abundance of useful information to help consumers make wise choices when they are deciding between margarine, butter, and other fats or oils.

“The first thing you will notice when you compare butter to most types of margarine is that the calorie levels are very similar,” says Nitzke. Unless you’re choosing a specialty product, margarine and butter both have about 100 calories per tablespoon. To keep calories in check, you will need to limit the total amount of any fat or oil you use, whether it’s butter, margarine, shortening or liquid vegetable oil.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise consumers to replace saturated fats and trans fats with unsaturated fat. Following are some tips to help you buy products that are low in saturated and trans fat:

• Whenever the texture and taste are appropriate, choose liquid vegetable oils that are high in unsaturated fats -- like canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, sesame, soybean and sunflower oils.
• Buy margarine made with unsaturated liquid vegetable oils as the first ingredient. Choose soft tub or liquid margarine or vegetable oil spreads. Look for products with “no trans fats” on the label.
• Limit butter, lard, fatback, bacon, beef fat (suet, tallow) and solid shortenings. They tend to be high in saturated fat.

For more information, contact your county UW-Extension office.