The Meat-Packing Industry In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle

Throughout American history, propaganda pieces have been used to sway the public opinion on one matter or another. The famous Federalist Papers were used to sway the early American public to ratify the Constitution. The Civil War also heavily relied on propaganda to recruit soldiers and boost morale. At the turn of the 20th century, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle was written as a propaganda piece on socialism, however, it was remembered for its cometary on the ethics of the meat packing industry. Although its goal of turning America into a socialist society was forgotten, it served as one of the most efficient propaganda pieces on the meat packing industry. A century later the documentary Food, Inc. was produced for the same purpose of drawing attention to the food industry as a whole. Although monopolies on the meat industry have increased after being broken up and food workers treatment is similar to those in The Jungle, there are now more government regulations in place, ensuring food safety to a

However, after the novel’s release, the government was forced to create a system to ensure the food being produced was safe and made in an ethical fashion. First was the Pure Food and Drug Act, which ensured that food and drugs being made were clean and free from pathogenic agents. Today, agencies like the FDA and USDA are in charge of ensuring that food is safe, factories are safe, and that the food is healthy and clean enough for eating. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) now monitor beef, and other animals, living, shipping, and slaughtering conditions. They also monitor factories to ensure that damaged or diseased animals are not put into products. Due to those agencies, along with other legislation, the quality of food and its production methods have improved since the early 20th