The War on 'Embalmed' Milk
State Dairy and Food Commissioner E. A. McDonald reflects on the rise of Washington's dairy industry and his crusade against chemical preservatives in the food supply.
The dairy industry of Washington had its struggles, but it has expanded. We have not many years to look back when dairying was in its infancy, when the dairy maid wrestled with the problems of buttermaking. Science has since broken the old dash churn and wiped the perspiration from the brow of the dairy maid. The first creamery in the State of Washington was built in Clarke County by Lindsey Bros. in 1886. By 1892, the industry faced a crisis with oleomargarine, as every cheap restaurant began using it as a substitute for butter. Through the enforcement of dairy laws, we drove it from the state. Since the enactment of the Pure Food Law, my time has been devoted to regulating food products. I have found that preservatives like formaldehyde in milk, borax in canned meats, and salicylic acid in mince meat are commonly used. There has never been a question in regard to the injurious effects of preservatives in milk, for it is the exclusive diet for children. It is my opinion that if a preservative is used in any food product, it should be stated on the label. The pure food law has called 'halt' to all those who grow fat by deception and fraud. The days for getting rich by playing upon the ignorance of the purchaser have passed.
“All the milk sold in the state would have been embalmed, the undertaker would have reaped the reward.”
This early 20th-century push for food transparency and the regulation of 'embalmed' milk mirrors modern debates over ultra-processed foods, labeling transparency, and the influence of corporate lobbyists on public health standards.
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