Data and Code for "Safeguarding Consumers Through Minimum Quality Standards: Milk Inspections and Urban Mortality in the United States, 1880-1910"
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) D. Mark Anderson, Montana State University
Version: View help for Version V1
| Name | File Type | Size | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replication-files | 02/07/2025 06:36:PM |
Project Citation:
Anderson, D. Mark. Data and Code for “Safeguarding Consumers Through Minimum Quality Standards: Milk Inspections and Urban Mortality in the United States, 1880-1910.” Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2025-02-07. https://doi.org/10.3886/E218401V1
Project Description
Summary:
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The late 19th century urban milk supply in the United States was regularly skimmed and diluted with (potentially contaminated) water; dyes, caramel, and salt were added to conceal adulteration; boric acid was added to forestall souring. In an effort to protect consumers, most major American cities adopted minimum quality standards (MQSs) for milk and hired inspectors to enforce them. Using newly transcribed data on 35 cities for the period 1880-1910, we find that the hiring of milk inspectors is, after five years, associated with an 11-14 percent reduction in deaths from diarrheal diseases and typhoid; after 10 years, the hiring of milk inspections is associated with a 18-32 percent reduction in deaths from these diseases. Our estimates provide evidence that, when applied directly to a good the quality of which is difficult to ascertain, well-defined MQSs can improve the health of consumers.
Scope of Project
Subject Terms:
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Milk inspections;
infant mortality;
waterborne mortality
Geographic Coverage:
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United States
Time Period(s):
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1880 – 1910
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