Why Was the FDA Established?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a regulatory body which protects the consumer. Its authority extends to most food products as well as drugs used for humans and animals.

Origin

• The seed for the FDA was planted when the patent office hired scientist Caleb Beck to perform analysis on agricultural products in 1848. In 1862, the U.S. government created their own version of this profession, creating the Department of Agriculture.

Purpose

• The FDA really took off as an entity with the 1906 Pure Food and Drugs Act. The act was the culmination of 25 years of lobbying to pass about 100 new pieces of legislation. The aim was to protect consumers from abuses by the producers, such as misbranding and dangerous produce.

FDA Today

• The administration today has grown to cover the whole country and a wide range of consumer products. As of October 2009, the FDA employed about 11,500 people working in such fields as veterinary science, tobacco, medical drugs, medical machinery and food safety.