By the early 1900s, the American public was experiencing vast problems with their food,
drug and biologics marketplaces.
Journalists and activists began exposing things like
watered down and embalmed milk.
For example, the popular preservative, formaldehyde, caused
severe illness and even death.
Some scientists dedicated themselves to addressing these issues.
Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, Chief Chemist at the U.S Department of Agriculture showed
the danger of chemicals such as borax, a common household detergent, when used to preserve
food.
This was a national problem that needed a federal solution.
The chemist came out swinging hard at the food industry, calling for greater regulation
of chemicals in food.
For the protection of the American public.
On July 1, 1902, Theodore Roosevelt signed the Biologics Control Act which required the
licensure of biological products and manufacturing establishments.
Then, four years later, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drugs Act in 1906
This law banned the adulteration and misbranding of food and drugs and established the consumer
protection agency we know today as the FDA.
Labeling is governed by the Federal Food, Drug And Cosmetic Act, and The Fair Packaging
and Labeling Act.
These laws stipulate that the label must tell the truth about the product.
The 20th century came with rapid advances in science and technology.
The law had to pivot quickly, and the FDA with it.
In 1938, Congress gave the FDA the power to regulate
cosmetic products which had quickly gained popularity.
Including the eyebrow and lash dye, Lash Lure, which blinded and reportedly killed some users.
The 1970 s brought considerable strengthened requirements to ensure safe and effective
medical devices.
A wide range of FDA approved medical devices, from intrauterine devices to pacemaker s,
keep the American public safe and healthy today.
Additionally, in 1972, responsibility for the regulation of biologics, including blood
and vaccines, was transferred to FDA.
Cutting edge science has continuously improved product regulation and assisted the FDA in
pursuing enforcement over countless problematic products.
Defects in plastic medical devices can occur at various stages of manufacture, for this
reason strict quality assurance procedures must be followed during the entire process.
More recently, the FDA has adapted to combat one of the biggest health crises of the 20th
century: tobacco-related illnesses and deaths.
Concerned with youth-oriented marketing and decades of evidence of health risks, the agency
attempted to regulate cigarettes in the 1990 s.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the FDA s assertion of authority in this area, but Congress
would eventually pass the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act,
explicitly providing the FDA authority in this area.
I also know that kids today don t just start smoking for no reason.
They are aggressively targeted as customers by the Tobacco Industry, they are exposed
to a constant and insidious barrage of advertising where they live, where they learn, and where
they play.
Today, the Center for Tobacco Products not only regulates, but educates the public on
the dangers of tobacco products.
In addition to addressing tobacco use, the FDA has also spent considerable time on many
other public health priorities, such as recalls of foods contaminated with
pathogens like Salmonella and helping to facilitate the availability of safe and effective vaccines
for prevention of infectious diseases including COVID-19 and influenza.
As long as the FDA exists, we will continue to evolve as needed to protect and promote
public health.