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It is said that Al Capone initiated a campaign to print ‘use by’ dates on milk bottles, taking advantage of the fact that he controlled the printing equipment
A more widely circulated reason for Al Capone’s push for expiry dates on milk bottles is tied to an incident involving his niece. (News18 Hindi)
Packaged milk typically has a shelf life of just one day. If left out for longer, it will spoil. However, tetra packs have a longer shelf life, though they too come with an expiry date. But did you know there was a time when milk bottles and packets didn’t have an expiry date?
This change occurred in the early decades of the 20th century, and it’s believed that infamous American gangster Al Capone played a significant role in this shift. While there’s no absolute proof of this, two main reasons are often cited.
First Reason
From 1920 to 1933, America experienced prohibition, during which time Al Capone began selling alcohol illegally. He controlled many of the bottling plants in the country. After the ban was lifted in 1933, Capone realised that the liquor business was no longer as profitable. He began looking for other opportunities and eventually set his sights on the milk industry.
Milk was a more profitable business at the time, and Capone, who still controlled the bottling plants, saw an opportunity to corner the market. He initiated a campaign to print ‘use by’ dates on milk bottles, taking advantage of the fact that he controlled the printing equipment. The success of this campaign greatly benefitted Capone’s business.
Second Reason
A more widely circulated reason for Capone’s push for expiry dates on milk bottles is tied to an incident involving his niece. It is said that she became seriously ill after drinking spoiled milk. Disturbed by this event, Capone is believed to have started the campaign to introduce expiry dates for the safety of children and pregnant women.
However, many people believe that this story was fabricated to further Capone’s business interests, capitalising on the power of his printing operations. Regardless of the truth behind the story, it’s thanks to Al Capone that we now avoid drinking spoiled milk.
