Safeguarding Consumers Through Minimum Quality Standards: Milk Inspections and Urban Mortality, 1880-1910 / D. Mark Anderson, Kerwin Kofi Charles, Michael McKelligott, Daniel I. Rees.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Anderson, D. Mark.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Charles, Kerwin Kofi.

McKelligott, Michael.

Rees, Daniel I.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w30063.

NBER working paper series no. w30063

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2022.

Summary:

We examine the effect of enforcing minimum quality standards (MQSs) on consumer health. In the late 1800s, the urban milk supply was regularly skimmed and diluted with water, but consumers could not easily determine its quality because dyes, caramel, and salt were added. To protect consumers, milk inspectors were tasked with enforcing a well-defined MQS. Using city-level data for the period 1880-1910, we find that milk inspections reduced mortality from waterborne and foodborne diseases by 12-19 percent. Ours is the first study to provide evidence that MQSs can improve consumer health when directly applied to an experience or credence good.

Notes:

Print version record

May 2022.