چكيده لاتين
During the Pahlavi period (1925–1979 CE), the rise in urban population and city expansion, coupled with concerns over public health, prompted the Pahlavi government to focus specifically on improving the sanitary conditions of food-related trades. This initiative served multiple purposes, the most significant of which included efforts to modernize the country and project a modern image of Iran in line with the national state-building project, adherence to global health standards, mitigation of public health threats that could impact the national workforce, and strengthening government oversight and control over professional guilds. This study examines the health policies and measures implemented by the Pahlavi state between 1955 and 1979 CE in relation to food-related trades, assessing their impact on improving sanitary conditions.
The central question of this research investigates the nature of health policies implemented by the Pahlavi government between 1955 and 1979 regarding food-related professions, such as butcher shops, bakeries, cafés, teahouses, and guesthouses. The primary aim is to analyze the health policies established during this period, which include drafting laws and regulations, creating supervisory mechanisms, implementing modernization and standardization measures, and promoting health education and awareness. Additionally, the study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of these policies in improving health standards within key food-related sectors, such as butchers, bakers, cafés, teahouses, and guesthouses. The methodology employed in this research follows a historical-analytical approach, focusing on the content analysis of archival documents and press materials. The examined sources consist of archival records from municipal departments, ministries such as the Ministry of Health and Sanitary Engineering, government laws like the Municipal Act and its accompanying regulations, Pahlavi-era newspapers, inspection reports, memoirs, and contemporary historical research.
The findings indicate that these policies led to a relative increase in health awareness among food-related businesses, an improvement in the physical conditions of many, particularly in larger cities, and the establishment of the first official supervisory institutions in this area. However, limitations such as weak policy implementation in smaller towns and rural areas, resistance from certain traditional industries, a lack of specialized personnel, and insufficient support were observed. Thus, it can be acknowledged that the health policies of the Pahlavi era in the food industry represented a significant step towards the modernization of public health and the systematic organization of this sector. Although the implementation faced various challenges, these measures laid the groundwork for changing attitudes toward health and establishing initial regulatory structures in Iran.
