Yellow margarine may soon be allowed in Quebec grocery stores after the province's cabinet quietly agreed to change a 21-year old law that forbids any coloured form of the oily spread to be sold in La Belle Province.

In late June, the Quebec Cabinet agreed to repeal a provincial law that prevented margarine makers in the province from adding yellow colour to their product.

The decision could open the door for margarine producers to tint their products yellow, a longstanding practice in most parts of the world and in the rest of Canada.

Quebec's law was meant to protect butter producers in the market who felt threatened in the 1970s by the rise of margarine's popularity.

But the federation of Quebec dairy farmers said the law is not needed anymore because margarine's popularity has dropped in recent years.

At the same time, butter has regained popularity with consumers, the federation said.

The law could be repealed as early as the end of summer.