In February 1912, the Slaughterhouse Reform was introduced by the city of Stockholm to address the unsanitary conditions prevalent in the production and sale of meat, and thereby improve food safety. However, opponents argued that the reform would lead to price increases, and that poorer households would therefore replace meat with cheaper products. We find that meat prices increased by 21% due to the introduction of the reform, which meant that consumers had to pay a substantial cost for improved food safety within the boundaries of Stockholm.