PURE FOOD AND DRUG ACT
The first Pure Food and Drug Act was passed in 1906. The purpose was to protect the public against adulteration of food. Muckrakers made the public aware of the safety issues directly coming from the careless food preparation procedures. Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, the Department of Agriculture`s chief chemist, published his findings on the common use of harmful preservatives in the meat-packing industry. American soldiers were served "embalmed beef" during the Spanish American War, which added forced to the movement. President Theodore Roosevelt began the process by ensuring the passage of the Meat Inspection Act which was followed by the Pure Food and Drug Act. The purpose was to prevent adulteration or misbranding. Adulteration was defined in various ways. For confectionary, adulteration would be the result of any poisonous color or flavor, or of any other ingredients harmful to human health. Food was adulterated if it contained decomposed animal matter,or poisonous ingredients. The food and drug administration tested all foods and drugs designated for human consumption.
Reform is shown in this conflict because as people realized that they could make more money with less work they did. This quickly lead to unhealthy food being sold to the public. During the great depression this became a larger problem because people could not afford any food, so they were willing to buy any cheap food, enabling meat companies to not follow all of their prodigals.
What would be in our food today if this issue was not resolved when it was? It is a question that is interesting to think about how food companies and manufactures have changed over the years
