How Did The Pure Food And Drug Act 1906

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The Pure Food and Drug Act passed in 1906. The Pure Food and Drug Act became an important piece of legislation that revolutionized America because of how it affected everyone living in the United States. It changed how food products and drugs were labeled as this law prevented companies from deceiving the public by making false claims or mislabeling their products. This improved food quality and the labeling of medications and food products benefitted the public by informing them of what their products were made of and by improving their health with better food quality. Any medications or food with chemicals harmful to consumers were made illegal by this law (“Results/Impact.”). Besides improving regulation and stopping mislabeling, the Pure Food and Drug Act “gave unprecedented new regulatory powers to the federal government, … [and] empowered a bureau that evolved into today's Food and Drug Administration (FDA)” (“Pure Food and Drug Act (1906).”) by creating an “economic legacy … [which] includes strong consumer …show more content…

Many companies and people had failed to label foods and drugs properly claiming that they are something they are not. “Before the act, companies could alternate ingredients for a more inexpensive, low quality substitute. This made for a better profit for the producers” (“Results/Impact.”). However, with the Pure Food and Drug Act these “companies could either shut down or label the foods properly” (“Results/Impact.”). Many were against consuming products that were harmful to them which is why “[t]he House vote was 240-17” (Robertson, Derek, et al.), making the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 “one of the most daring demonstrations of bureaucratic autonomy in the history of the United States” (“Pure Food and Drug Act (1906).”). The opponents of this proposal were wrong in that compromising food quality and mislabeling for more money does not outweigh the public’s interest in their