Transcript Food, Drug and Cosmetics Acts of 1938, 1954, 1958

Food, Drug and Cosmetics Acts of 1938, 1954,
1958
by Lauren Dawson
1938
• In 1938; with the election of Franklin Roosevelt
into office the FDA finally had the chance to
make America a healthier place by making much
needed changes in the law: legally mandated
quality and identity standards for foods,
prohibition of false therapeutic claims for drugs,
coverage of cosmetics and medical devices,
clarification of the FDA's right to conduct factory
inspections, and control of product advertising,
among other items.
Dangerous/deceptive products and
false remedies in 1938
• 1-new sulfa “wonder” drug that killed over 100 people because of its
chemical analogue of antifreeze.
• 2-Lash-lure; eyelash dye that blinded some women.
• 3-Many sodas in the 1930s were deceptively watered down to make
more money
Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic
Act
of 1954, the Miller Amendment
• Tolerances required for all pesticides
• Raw agricultural commodities condemned if they
contained pesticide residues above FDA
tolerance levels
• In 1954 the first large-scale radiological
examination of food was carried out by the
FDA when it received reports that tuna
being imported from Japan was suspected
of being radioactive from atomic blasts in
the Pacific.
Food Additives Amendment of 1958
• Required that all manufacturers prove the
safety of a additive through a petition to
the FDA before the additive can be used in
any way.
• Included the “Delaney Clause” which
established a zero tolerance for food
additives found to cause cancer in animals
or humans.
• In 1958 FDA publishes
first list of substances
Generally Recognized
As Safe (GRAS).
• This group includes a
variety of substances,
from commonly used
flavorings and spices to
phosphates.
Sources
• 1938- http://www.fda.gov/oc/history/historyoffda/section2.html
• 1954http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache:gLWNgxjpHUgJ:ipm.ncsu.edu/srpsec/pp6.ppt+pesticide+amendment+act+of+195
4&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-06/40219442.jpg
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/miles.html
• 1958http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Additives_in_Meat_&_Poultry_Products/index.asp
http://www.fda.gov/centennial/this_week/images/49-06/img-01.jpg