The 1870s pink margarine law and corporate control
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In the late 1870s, margarine became a popular, budget-friendly substitute for butter, prompting dairy lobbyists in the U.S. to take an unconventional approach to influence public opinion and protect butter sales. During this period, the dairy industry successfully lobbied for legislation requiring margarine to be dyed pink, a measure intended to make it visually unappealing to consumers. This action shows how food regulations can be manipulated to benefit corporate interests and reflect price sensitivities. The pink margarine initiative serves as an early example of the lengths to which industry groups will go to influence consumer choices.
Source
Ball, Richard A., and J. Robert Lilly. “The Menace of Margarine: The Rise and Fall of a Social Problem.” Social Problems 29, no. 5 (1982): 488–98. https://doi.org/10.2307/800398.
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