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

• 1954-http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache:gLWNgxjpHUgJ:ipm.ncsu.edu/srpsec/

pp6.ppt+pesticide+amendment+act+of+1954&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

• 1958- http://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