Food and Drug Administration (U.S.)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a federal agency charged with regulating and enforcing the safety and efficacy standards of food, drugs, and medical devices consumed in the United States. It was created in 1906 as a division of the Department of Agriculture and has since grown from focusing on food safety and food adulteration to monitoring the entire food supply (including genetically modified organisms or GMOs) and regulating a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry.

The 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act: Weeding the Quack Medicine Out

At the turn of the 20th century, American consumers in seek of relief, or even a cure, for their ailments were bombarded with a seemingly endless offering of “miracle” potions, lotions, creams, and concoctions. Alcohol, opium, and cocaine-laced drugs were ...

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