El consumo de leche fresca en Cataluña entre mediados del siglo XIX y 1935: la difusión de un nuevo alimento

Abstract

The spread of milk consumption was a significant change in the diet of Europeans; a fact however that has not been greatly studied with regard to populations of the Mediterranean Europe. In this article we shall analyse the main circumstances that conditioned that process in Catalonia between the mid-19th century and 1936. In our study we shall argue that the consumption of milk in this area was only relevant in the 19th century in situations of illness or old age, and that it subsequently increased acquiring a new significance as a result of various factors. In particular, we shall emphasise: (a) scientific advances in microbiology and nutrition, (b) activities carried out by doctors and various public institutions to promote fresh milk consumption, and (c) technological innovations in the milk producing sector.