Nuttelex is an Australian manufacturer of margarine. First manufactured in 1932, its namesake brand is the oldest brand of margarine in Australia.[1]
History
The Nuttelex company was founded in Melbourne in 1932 by Hugh Halpin.[1]
In 1941, Gordon McNally and Ted Mayes formed a partnership and acquired the Nuttelex business. However, after a disagreement in 1947, the partnership dissolved, and Mayes left to start the Meadow Lea margarine brand.[2]
In early times, the biggest obstacle for Nuttelex was the clout of Australia's dairy industry, which had enormous political persuasion. The 1893 Margarine Act of Victoria prohibited margarine from having a similar colour to butter. In 1936, a law was introduced mandating that margarine be saffron colour to distinguish it from butter. Quotas were introduced in the 1930s to limit the amount of margarine that could be produced, in order to protect the butter industry.