Gangster Al Capone is why expiry dates are printed on milk bottles; read more to know

Food expiration dates have become the staple when it comes to making a purchase on perishable items. So much so that, it might be assumed that the development must have originated as an effort made by concerned citizens. This, however, might be untrue. Allegedly, the development was made by Al Capone and his brother Ralph “Bottles” Capone.

Al Capone is the reason we have expiration dates on milk bottles: After his niece became extremely ill from bad milk, the powerful Chicago gangster lobbied aggressively for expiration dates to be put on milk for the safety of children and pregnant women

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While seemingly unbelievable, the story gains prominence for two main reasons – 1^st can be seen in the tale’s popularity among people, this post from Reddit managed to rake over 32,000 upvotes. Evidently, becoming a favourable narrative among audiences. If true, Al Capone acquires an altruistic aura from this narration, however, chances are this might be an exaggeration.

As uncovered by Snopes, the second account seems to originate from the 2010 book “Uncle Al Capone: The Untold Story from Inside His Family”, penned by his grandniece, Deirdre Marie Capone. On page 43, Deirdre points at the move being motivated by a capitalist sentiment:

Al turned his keen businessman's eye to less conspicuous business — and happened upon the dairy industry. As he put it himself, "You gotta have a product that everybody needs every day. We don't have it in booze…With milk, every family, every day, wants it on the table… Do you guys know there's a bigger markup in fresh milk than there is in alcohol? Honest to God, we've been in the wrong racket right along."

From 1920-1933 America was in its Prohibition Era, this was characterised by outlawing the manufacture, sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages. However, there remained a significant demand for alcohol. Capone capitalised on this demand by running a vast bootlegging (illegal smuggling of alcohol) and smuggling network, controlling breweries and distribution routes. This made bootlegging a cornerstone of his wealth.

Having been arrested in 1931, Capone was looking for legal ways to mark his status in the beverage industry. Having the means of distribution and smuggling, combined with an irresponsible regulation of the milk industry, he saw this business venture legal while still given him and his Chicago outfit the opportunity to still inflate prices and make a profit.

While many might want this tale to be the true conclusion it remains difficult to reason and prove if Al Capone was truly such a visionary. After all, not every significant story needs a dramatic origin to leave a lasting impact.