# Why doesn't WalMart carry real margarine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 10, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786 "2011-09-10T02:57:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/1 "2011-09-10T02:57:55Z")
I cannot, usually, say enough good about WalMart, but, I am confused: Why do they not carry margarine? I mean the real stuff, not Country Crock’s ‘Margarine Spread’ or some such clones of that. I love margarine, ten times more than butter! And WM doesn’t carry it. At least not in any here in town, and I think there are about 10-20 of them here. Thanks, hh ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/2 "2011-09-10T03:06:41Z")
What, like Imperial and Blue Bonnet? They all do here. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/3 "2011-09-10T03:54:24Z")
Is anybody else puzzled by the term “real” margarine? You mean your Wal-Mart carries fake emulsified vegetable oil? ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/4 "2011-09-10T04:08:31Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Is anybody else puzzled by the term “real” margarine? You mean your Wal-Mart carries fake emulsified vegetable oil? I’ve seen that stuff and it’s disgusting. I hear they use bovine mammary secretions to make it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/5 "2011-09-10T04:36:07Z")
Maybe he means ones like “[I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Can%27t_Believe_It%27s_Not_Butter)” which have a little bit of buttermilk? Still, [Country Crock](http://www.countrycrock.com/Home.aspx) IS “real margarine”, so I don’t know what he’s talking about there. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/6 "2011-09-10T06:18:19Z")
Interesting re margarine > **[Margarine vs. Butter: What's Better?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-butter-truth/)** > > Various claims about the origins and healthfulness of margarine. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/7 "2011-09-10T06:32:22Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > I’ve seen that stuff and it’s disgusting. I hear they use bovine mammary secretions to make it. Umm… that’s butter, made from bovine mammary secretions. Margarine is hydrogenated oil, kinda like plastic. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/8 "2011-09-10T06:54:29Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Is anybody else puzzled by the term “real” margarine? I’m more puzzled by “I cannot, usually, say enough good about WalMart.” ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/9 "2011-09-10T07:14:53Z")
There’s butter, there’s margarine, and then there’s spread. Spread might very well have water whipped into it, which makes it unsuitable for any use other than spreading on cold toast. Margarine acts very much like butter in cooking, although I don’t think it’s anywhere near as tasty. And then there are various combinations, such as margarine or spread that’s blended with milk or butter. I try to avoid shopping at WalMart, because quite frequently they don’t have what I want. If I want some plain bagels, they’ll have every sort of bagel EXCEPT fullsized plain bagels. Whole wheat, blueberry, chocolate chip, plain minibagels (which are fine, but they don’t work in my toaster), onion, but no plain ones. WalMart shoppers tend to want selection and price, and I tend to want quality and selection, so WalMart is not a good place for me to shop. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/10 "2011-09-10T07:43:50Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Umm… that’s butter, made from bovine mammary secretions. Margarine is hydrogenated oil, kinda like plastic. Yeah. Only one molecule away, I heard on the internet ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/11 "2011-09-10T07:48:22Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Maybe he means ones like “[I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Can%27t_Believe_It%27s_Not_Butter)” which have a little bit of buttermilk? > > Still, [Country Crock](http://www.countrycrock.com/Home.aspx) IS “real margarine”, so I don’t know what he’s talking about there. Is it about branding. I dont think it’s possible to get anything labelled ‘margarine’ here in the UK now, but only because the word fell out of grace. (You can still buy margarine, it will just be called ‘soft spread for baking’ or some such nonsense) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/12 "2011-09-10T10:04:27Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Margarine is hydrogenated oil, kinda like plastic. > [@Mangetout](#): > > Yeah. Only one molecule away, I heard on the internet Stop this or I shall hydrogenate the both of you. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/13 "2011-09-10T12:08:52Z")
OOOOPS!:smack: Sorry, guys!:smack: Mea Culpa!:smack: I stupidly, stupidly forgot to include the term ‘Whipped (soft)’ in my description! Sorry! I’m an idiot. :smack: So, what I am looking for is the whipped margarine, in a tub. And again, it’s the stuff like Imperial, Blue Bonnet, only soft, in the tub. Sorry about playing the fool, at your expense! hh ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/14 "2011-09-10T12:11:27Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’m more puzzled by “I cannot, usually, say enough good about WalMart.” …Uh…did we lose our :😊: smilie??? hh ---
**Author:** ![BunnyTVS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BunnyTVS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyTVS)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/15 "2011-09-10T12:20:53Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Is it about branding. I dont think it’s possible to get anything labelled ‘margarine’ here in the UK now, but only because the word fell out of grace. (You can still buy margarine, it will just be called ‘soft spread for baking’ or some such nonsense) Obligatory (probably false) QI factoid. For a product to be classed as margarine it must contain at least 80% fat. No spread on the market comes anywhere near that. Most are around the 40% mark. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/16 "2011-09-10T12:37:24Z")
When a really obese Walmartian gets stuck in a scooter in the store, they have to slice some of the flab off – think of human gyros. That flab is melted down into Walmart spread, which is sold to further Walmartians (and nicely fattens them up too), making a closed food cycle in which all profits go to the Waltons. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/17 "2011-09-10T21:48:18Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > When a really obese Walmartian gets stuck in a scooter in the store, they have to slice some of the flab off – think of human gyros. That flab is melted down into Walmart spread, which is sold to further Walmartians (and nicely fattens them up too), making a closed food cycle in which all profits go to the Waltons. “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Soylent Green!” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/18 "2011-09-10T21:52:47Z")
> [@user\_hostile](#): > > “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Soylent Green!” That’s the pesto. The margarine is Soylent Yellow. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/19 "2011-11-09T04:09:53Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > What, like Imperial and Blue Bonnet? They all do here. Update, kinda. Just got back from WM-all of the Imperial was something like “Vegetable Oil Spread” or something like that. Found some Good Value margarine, tho, but I think Imperial bailed on us. hh ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786/20 "2011-11-09T13:44:03Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I try to avoid shopping at WalMart, because quite frequently they don’t have what I want. If I want some plain bagels, they’ll have every sort of bagel EXCEPT fullsized plain bagels. Whole wheat, blueberry, chocolate chip, plain minibagels (which are fine, but they don’t work in my toaster), onion, but no plain ones. WalMart shoppers tend to want selection and price, and I tend to want quality and selection, so WalMart is not a good place for me to shop. Wal-Mart never sells bagels. They may sell round lumps of bread with a hole in the middle, but they don’t sell bagels. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-walmart-carry-real-margarine/595786.md?page=2)