Supply and Demand “Dirty Work at the Slaughterhouse,” cartoon by Cy Hungerford, 1945. But consumers faced limits and shortages on the meat that mattered most: beef, especially steak, as well as pork, veal, and lamb. Some meats were unrationed, including sausage, bologna, and small game. Most Americans, unless already accustomed to such ingredients, disagreed.
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They stressed that “variety meats,” including liver, heart, and kidneys, were plentiful, unrationed, and tasty. Dietitians, national meat councils, and local authorities touted “meat-extending” recipes that combined meat with potatoes, rice, gelatin, and other fillers to stretch rations. In truth, many protein sources remained, including eggs, peanut butter, soy products, beans, and cheese. By March 1943, meat was added to the nation’s ration list. In 1942, the United States launched a voluntary “share the meat” campaign, asking everyone over age 12 to limit consumption to 2 1/2 pounds per week. They also recognized meat as a key part of the American diet, a symbol of success and national identity. officials knew the meat supply would be threatened during World War II. Share the Meatįacing lend-lease obligations to Allies such as Great Britain and the need to feed American troops, U. Ray Sprigle Papers and Photographs, MSS 799, Detre Library & Archives at the History Center. Ray Sprigle and his “truckload of meat,” 1945. Why was black market meat such a problem during World War II, and what prompted Ray Sprigle to wade into the fray? As we face this latest challenge to the American dinner plate, it is useful to reflect upon what happened 75 years ago, when a different set of circumstances forced people to contemplate a change in eating habits. The closures raise new concerns about the nation’s meat supply as grocery store customers already confront empty shelves. Today, the coronavirus pandemic has closed meat processing plants across the nation, including two in Pennsylvania. Ranging within a 30-mile radius, he gathered more than a ton of illicit steaks, chops, and other cuts. They were responding to headlines garnered by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ray Sprigle, who set out in the Spring of 1945 with his old truck, “a bundle of cash,” and a healthy dose of persistence to see how much illegal meat he could round up around Pittsburgh. Both focused on one issue: black-market meat in Pittsburgh. Wheeler, chair of the Senate’s War Food Investigation Subcommittee, marched into town to conduct hearings. Grand Jury convened at the federal courthouse, Montana Senator Burton K. On April 23, 1945, Pittsburgh’s legal landscape bustled with activity. Ray Sprigle poses for a press photo with his black market meat, 1945.