Conflict and intervention in the milk market in Mexico City, 1902-1952

Abstract

In the first half of the nineteenth century, authorities in Mexico City struggled to regulate the milk market in order to increase the product's availability and sanitation. This process was characterized by bitter disputes between the government and all actors involved in the production, sale, distribution and pasteurization of cow's milk. In this article I explain how the Mexican government's economic and political priorities, namely protecting consumer prices and avoiding discontent among the dairy business actors, were prioritized over public health measures, such as pasteurization and the struggle against adulterated milk.