Margarine
Decode Label flags Margarine as a moderate concern in food and drink (cardiovascular). It appears in 4 of the 893 published products we have analysed (0.4%).
The concern
Hardened vegetable fat spread — high in saturated fat
Margarine is vegetable oil hardened into a spreadable fat. Indian margarine has been largely trans-free since FSSAI capped industrial trans fat at 2% in 2021, so its concern today is saturated fat rather than trans fat: hardening requires a high saturated fraction, usually palm. Saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk with regular high consumption. Bakery margarine in a biscuit or pastry is the same fat as the tub.
Most relevant to
Cited authority
FSSAI trans fat regulation (2021); WHO saturated fat intake guideline (2023)
Linked sources: WHO →
How common it is in this catalogue
Measured across every product Decode Label has analysed — not estimated, and not taken from anyone else's dataset.
By category
Hazard classification
Applies to margarine's saturated fat content, not trans fat — India's 2021 FSSAI cap has made most retail margarine trans-fat-free. Hardened fat spreads are typically high in saturated fat.
Identity
- Canonical name
- Margarine
Also appears on labels as
Questions
Is Margarine safe?
WHO: WHO Guideline: Saturated/trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children (2023) — SFA under 10% of energy. Why it is flagged: Hardened vegetable fat spread — high in saturated fat. Decode Label treats it as a moderate concern in food and drink. It appears in 4 of the 893 published products we have analysed (0.4%).
How common is Margarine in Indian packaged products?
Decode Label found Margarine in 4 of 893 published products (0.4%), most often in Food.
Which authorities have classified Margarine?
WHO — WHO Guideline: Saturated/trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children (2023) — SFA under 10% of energy.
Who should be most careful with Margarine?
People with heart conditions; People managing cholesterol; Anyone eating this regularly.
Products containing Margarine
4 published products, each with its own full analysis.
Related ingredients
Other entries in the register with the same kind of concern.
Method and limits
- Prevalence counts published products whose decoded ingredient list matches this substance or one of its label synonyms, using the same matching the score itself uses. It describes our catalogue of 893 products, not the Indian market as a whole.
- Presence is not dose. An ingredient list gives order, not quantity, unless the pack declares a percentage. Nothing here estimates how much of this substance any product contains.
- A classification is not a verdict on a product. An agency classifies a substance under defined conditions of exposure; whether that matters in a given food or cosmetic depends on route, concentration and use.
- No regulatory rows. This substance is not matched in our regulatory warehouse, so the concern above rests on the cited authority alone.
- Last updated. This register entry was last changed on 28 September 2026.
- Corrections. Every figure here is reproducible from the sources named. If something is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and say what changed.