/oss/taxonomy/term/443/all en /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/making-trans-fat-free-margarine <p>Margarine originally was a cheap butter substitute made by emulsifying beef fat with water or milk. Eventually animal fat was replaced by partially saturated vegetable fats, hardened by the process of hydrogenation, mainly for economic reasons. When saturated fats were linked with increased blood levels of cholesterol, margarine became a quasi-drug, at least until trans fats, byproducts of the hydrogenation process reared their ugly heads.</p> Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:25:18 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1632 at /oss