Canada banned margarine for 70 years, then provinces banned yellow margarine

The Short Answer

REPEALED! Canada completely banned margarine from 1879-1948. After the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban, provinces prohibited yellow-colored margarine to protect dairy farmers. Quebec was the last holdout until 2008.

The Full Story

Canada's margarine ban was one of the longest-running food prohibitions in Western history—a 70-year testament to the political power of the dairy lobby.

The Federal Ban (1879-1948) The ban began in 1879, ostensibly over concerns that margarine would be fraudulently passed off as butter. But the real motivation was protectionism: dairy farmers feared competition from this cheaper alternative.

The ban created some unexpected consequences. Newfoundland, which didn't join Canada until 1949, had no such prohibition. Newfoundland became a source of "bootleg margarine," smuggled into mainland Canada. When Newfoundland finally joined Confederation, the Newfoundland Butter Company pivoted to become Canada's first legal margarine manufacturer.

The Supreme Court Decision (1948/49) The Margarine Reference case struck down the federal ban, ruling it exceeded federal jurisdiction.

Provincial Color Restrictions After the federal ban fell, provinces implemented their own restrictions. Several provinces, including BC and Alberta, banned yellow-colored margarine to ensure it couldn't be mistaken for butter. Margarine had to be sold white, or in some provinces, an unappetizing orange or pink color.

Manufacturers sometimes included a packet of yellow dye so consumers could color their own margarine at home.

Timeline of Repeal:

Ontario: Required margarine to be uncolored; repealed 1997
Quebec: Prohibited yellow margarine until July 2008 (last province to repeal)

Common Misconceptions

The ban was not simply about health concerns -- it was primarily driven by the powerful dairy lobby to eliminate competition from cheaper margarine. The federal ban lasted from 1886 to 1948 (with a brief wartime exception 1917-1923), not a continuous 70 years. Provincial colour restrictions persisted much longer.

Actual Legal Text

The federal Dairy Industry Act, Section 5(a), prohibited "the manufacture, importation into Canada, or offering, selling or having in possession for sale, of oleomargarine, margarine, butterine, or other substitute for butter." Provincial regulations further restricted margarine colouring: Ontario's Oleomargarine Act banned butter-coloured margarine until 1995, and Quebec required margarine to remain uncoloured until 2008.

Current Status

Repealed

Penalty

Under the Dairy Industry Act, Section 10: a fine of not less than $200 and not more than $400 for each conviction, plus costs of prosecution, and in default of payment, imprisonment with or without hard labour for up to three months.