27 SEPTEMBER 1957, Page 16

CRI DE CREVECOEUR

SIR,—The '12.6ponse de Crevecceue seems to deal very adequately with Mr. Cyril Ray's original 'cri,' except that it leaves him unenlightened as to 'what goes into margarine.'

There is no mystery about margarine. Essentially it is a blend of natural vegetable oils and milk, fortified with the 'sunshine' vitamins A and D. The oils are mainly groundnut, coconut, palm fruit and palm kernel, soya, cottonseed, sunflower. Whale oil is also used.

The content of vitamin A is equivalent to, and that of D, about twice what is to be found in good summer butter. An ounce of butter contains 23.4 grams of fat and 211 calories; margarine has 24.2 grams of fat and 218 calories to the ounce. Both margarine and butter may by law contain up to 16 per cent. of water.—Yours faithfully, 21 Lime Street, EC3