The Black Market for Meat that Emerged During World War II Rationing

The black market has seen the trafficking of various products, from cigarettes to Tickle Me Elmo to Pop Rocks. However, few require refrigeration. Yet, in the early 1940s, the United States found itself facing a new kind of illegal trade—unauthorized cuts of meat—especially in cities like Pittsburgh.

As noted by Senator John Heinz History Center's Leslie Przybylek, this illicit trade began when the federal government initiated meat rationing in an effort to ensure that both American civilians and Allied soldiers were adequately fed.

The rationing came as a result of Americans' reluctance to voluntarily reduce their meat consumption. In 1942, the government launched a campaign encouraging citizens to cut back. Grocery store walls displayed posters with messages like “make it stretch” and “share the meat.”

Consumers rejected rationing and kept frying up their favorite steaks. When the rationing system was implemented in March 1943, beef and steak became restricted, though processed meats like sausages were exempt. Adults and children over 12 could purchase up to 2.5 pounds of meat per week, tracked by rationing coupon books. Anyone witnessing a violation of the “home front pledge” and seeing someone indulge in too much sirloin could report them to the local rationing board.

Meanwhile, beef distributors began diverting meat from retail refrigerators, selling it directly to the government, which had little choice but to pay higher prices.

With limited supply and soaring demand, “meatleggers” took advantage, secretly breaking down animals and selling the meat at inflated prices without any regulation. The government fought back using traditional propaganda, producing short films and radio shows to warn about the dangers of consuming untraceable meat.

The shady meat trade began to unravel when Pittsburgh Post-Gazette journalist Ray Sprigle investigated the underground market, exposing it by visiting wholesale grocers and back-alley dealers, ultimately collecting over a ton of illegal cuts. His findings sparked action from the Office of Price Administration (OPA), which oversaw rationing and price controls. This led to several dealers being indicted by a U.S. grand jury.

By 1946, the meat crisis had mostly subsided, and Americans no longer needed to meet black market butchers to purchase questionable lamb chops.