Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

Abstract

The early history of food law ran parallel to the early history of America, as illustrated in the forepart of Chapter 1. The earliest form of food law adopted in 1641, and thereafter, by the colonies was dictated solely by the urgency of needing a favorable trade with European nations which refused to accept diseased, spoiled or otherwise inferior products. On the other hand, Congress, beginning with the First Congress in 1789, passed legislation concerning imports for the sole purpose of obtaining revenues through imposition of import duties. Except for providing for inspection of imported teas and distilled spirits in 1791, Congress during the following 100 years displayed little interest in regulating the quality of either imported or exported foods.