For my AP Chemistry presentation today, I have a little something about the Pure Food and Drug Act thrown in there. I am doing my project on forensic science. How this relates to the Pure Food and Drug Act...well, you would have to hear it to understand.
Anyway, back to history. The Pure Food and Drug Act was enacted in 1906 by president Teddy Roosevelt. He was inspired to create and pass this act because he read the book The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Originally, the book had been written for the plight of workers but Roosevelt interperated it as the need to do something about the condition of meat packing industries. Floors of the factories were covered in gore and rotten meat was packed with the good meat and the "grosser" parts of animals to rip of the consumers. Roosevelt read the book and was horrified at what was going on.
Now, today, we have better quality items and healthier foods and drugs. We don't have to worry as much about what is in our foods. (whew, now I don't have to worry about those hot dogs anymore)
Isn't it amazing how things have developed? The fact that we had to come up with programs like the FDA in order to have legit, healthy, and sanitary food - among other things?!?!?!!!!
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine what it must have been like to work in those factories back then, and to have eaten the food back then. The number of people who got sick from that food must have been obsene. YUCKIE!
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