Glass stoppered vial, with rubber cover, of Acide Margarique, from a set of chemical preparations associated with Chevreul. By the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, French, 1820-1840

Margarine was one of the first industrial foods, invented in 1869 as a cheaper alternative to butter.

Its origins lie in the lab of French chemist Michel Chevreul who helped uncover the chemistry behind animal fats. This bottle belonged to him. It contains the fatty substance he named ‘margarique’. Margarine went on to become a major part of the Western diet, overtaking butter.