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Additional Protection
In 1958, the Delaney Clause was put in place to have a zero tolerance policy in food for carcinogens. It provided additional protection to the environment and those who consumed the foods. Towards the end of the 1900s, the Food Quality Protection Act was focused towards infants and children. The goal was to regulate the level of pesticide risks that were present for foods of younger children. -
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The Evolution of Food Regulation in the 1900s
Throughout the 1900s, the production of food was drastically changed by societal expectations to remain safe and healthy. Food borne illnesses were at a high, leading to many people wanting a change in the food industry's level of safety. In the early 1900s, there was widespread corruption and mismanagement within the meatpacking industry. There were poor working conditions and unsanitary practices within the companies. -
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Feast or Famine
During this time, advances in transportation and refrigeration led to food being transported all throughout the country, and even on a global scale. The use of refrigeration encouraged the use of pre-packaging processes. With the rise in mass production, producers used preservatives and other chemicals to extend an item's shelf life. The book "The Jungle" aimed to ignite a public outcry for the lack of food regulation in the 1900s. Foods were mislabeled, spoiled, poisonous, etc. -
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Testing for Pesticide Application
Before registration with the Environmental Protection Agency, companies were required to test their products on human health and the environmental impact. This played a major role in the well-being of ecological health. Previously, there had been no regard to procedure in pesticide application. Now, there were protocols that protected farmers, the consumers, and the environment. -
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Consumers and the Government
Consumers had no way of knowing if their food was safe. The government had not yet implemented any laws or regulations of the production and selling of foods. Over the years, different acts of congress, like the Meat Inspection Act, the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, The Delaney Clause, and the Food Quality Protection Act, have all contributed to the growing protection of food for consumers. -
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People and Technology
Additionally, as people and technology were evolving, there was more known information about carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals). Congress aimed to protect the people, especially children, from harmful additives in food. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) of 1947 regulated pesticide use on crops. Prior to this act, there were no prohibitions on testing, registration, and use of pesticides on crops. This improved human health and aimed to protect the environment. -
The Jungle Book By Upton Sinclair
This book changed the way people viewed prepackaged food. It exposed the meatpacking idustry. Prior to this book, food safety standards were not implemented within companies. The "Jungle" brought public awareness and attention to the severity of the industries and issues of food safety.
(https://www.history.com/news/upton-sinclair-the-jungle-us-food-safety-reforms) -
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The Delaney Clause
(https://www.gao.gov/products/hrd-82-3#:~:text=The%20Delaney%20Clause%2C%20incorporated%20into,animals%20as%20indicated%20by%20testing.) The Delaney Clause was enacted by the Congress to install a zero tolerance policy in food. This means that no cancer-causing agent, or carcinogenic, could be added to food for any animals or humans. It made the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ban certain food additives that had previously been allowed in production. -
The Food Quality Protection Act
