American industrialist John D Rockefeller was a key lobbyist who helped implement raw milk bans in the USA. He was well-invested in food and milk processing operations, allowing him to ride a massive wave of profit in response to industrial regulation.
Industrializing the dairy supply chain
During the Industrial Revolution, fluid milk was becoming a big business. Many people were made sick from raw milk in this era, contributing to 2/3s of infant deaths, before regulations were set upon industrial agriculture that limited their ability to conduct insane and hazardous cost cutting measures. See the Swill Milk Scandal and Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.
Raw milk direct-to-consumer sales have made a comeback, nearly a century after compulsory pasteurization laws were imposed. Currently, only 1 in 500,000 raw milk consumers experience serious illness attributed to raw milk thanks to advances in technology, equipment, and implementation.
Many dairy producers resisted mandatory pasteurization, due to milk quality concerns and expenses related to meeting compliance, while larger food processors embraced the opportunity to act as middlemen between farmers and consumers. Rockefeller found himself in the latter camp.
Raw milk bans arrive in 1909 Chicago
Rockefeller’s influence led to Chicago becoming the first major city to require pasteurization of milk, ushering forth the creation of dairy processing cartels by imposing a ban on direct-to-consumer raw milk sales.
Two years after the release of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (1906), the bill was introduced to Chicago City Council by Alderman Robert W. Monk and signed by Mayor Fred Busse. Rockefeller and Busse were friends with then president of the University of Chicago, Martin Ryerson, which received philanthropic endowments for research to support pasteurization conducted by Dr. Ludwig Hektoen.
Raw milk is now made available by many farms outside Chicago, some with membership-based milk routes within the third largest US city.
Rockefeller lobbies against raw milk
John D. Rockefeller, through his company Rockefeller Foundation, further lobbied various jurisdictions and bodies of government to mandate milk pasteurization in the United States. Some of these jurisdictions include:
- State of Illinois (1909): Illinois became one of the first states to mandate pasteurization of milk.
- New York City (1910): Rockefeller’s efforts led to New York City requiring pasteurization of milk.
- State of New York (1911): New York state followed suit, mandating pasteurization of milk.
- U.S. Public Health Service (1912): Rockefeller’s lobbying contributed to the U.S. Public Health Service recommending pasteurization of milk nationwide.
Rockefeller’s efforts were part of a broader campaign to promote pasteurization as a way to improve public health and increase demand for milk. His lobbying added compulsory pasteurization to milk safety regulations across the United States.
Investing in red tape
John D. Rockefeller owned or invested in several companies related to milk and dairy:
- Rockefeller’s stake in Borden’s Condensed Milk Company: Rockefeller invested in Borden’s, a leading dairy company, and held a significant stake.
- Rockefeller’s interest in the Chicago Milk Shed: Rockefeller invested in the Chicago Milk Shed, a dairy cooperative that supplied milk to the city.
- Rockefeller’s ownership of the Moffat Dairy Company: Rockefeller owned Moffat Dairy, a milk processing and distribution company.
- Rockefeller’s investment in the Sheffield Farms Dairy Company: Rockefeller invested in Sheffield Farms, a dairy company that produced and distributed milk and dairy products.
- Rockefeller’s stake in the Armour & Company dairy business: Rockefeller invested in Armour & Company’s dairy division, which produced and distributed milk and dairy products.
Some notable companies that Rockefeller did not own but had influence on or invested in indirectly through his other business ventures include:
- National Dairy Products Corporation (later Kraft Foods): Rockefeller’s influence contributed to the formation of National Dairy Products Corporation.
- The Breakstone Dairy Company: Rockefeller’s investment in Sheffield Farms Dairy Company had ties to Breakstone.
Rockefeller’s investments and influence helped shape the dairy industry, promoting pasteurization, and consolidation among dairy companies. He no doubt believed in the necessity of pasteurization, though he drove the industry forward from the industry.
Plot Twist
Fast forward a century and Abby Rockefeller produces raw milk at her RAWMI listed Biodynamic farm in New York. Read her article for Barn Raiser, 2023: Could Raw Milk Reinvent The Future Of Dairy?
