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"The Pure Food and Drug laws are not system changes; they deal with the adulteration of edible products, not with the
inhumane treatment of the workers who process the products." Unfortunately, for factory and manufacturing workers, laws
being passed after the discovery in the corrupt nature of the meatpacking industries were more related to the production of
food than to the working individual.
The Food and Drug Act, also known as The Wiley Act, made it mandatory for food manufacturers to state the contents on
their label and doing so resulted in fines and even jail time. The primary goal of this act is to allow the FDA, Food and
Drug Administration, to regulate and enforce the law of any misbranding or adulterating products or goods.
Harvey Wiley led a team called the "Poison Squad" in which he wanted to see "whether preservatives should
ever be used or not, and if so, what preservatives and in what quantities." Studies using humans consuming chemical
preservatives showed that they would get sick. Many would experience vomiting and nausea and even to the point where they
could not stand. The Pure Food and Drug Act was adopted to prevent adulterated products like this from hitting consumers.
"On January 5, 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published its final rule that defines the types of statements
that can be made concerning the effect of a dietary supplement on the structure or function of the body pursuant to the Dietary
Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).
While this rule is not expected to affect the availability of dietary supplement products or consumer access to them,
it may affect whether certain claims can be made under the 1994 Act. This in turn may result in some labeling changes for
these products (FDA Talk Paper: FDA Finalizes Rules for Claims on Dietary Supplements.)"
Source: http://www.institute-shot.com/Labeling%20Drugs%20and%20Herbal%20Remedies.htm
Laws are being enacted and changed every day. Dietary supplements and herbs started being regulated by the FDA only a
little over a decade ago. With changes and additions to the marketplace, the way a products package is perceived can break
a company. It all started with Harvey Wiley in which packages were required with the amount of addicting substances, such
as alcohol, heroin, and cocaine. Today we know that heroin and cocaine can not be included in our food supply. The Fair
Packaging and Labeling Act and the Nutritional Labeling and Education Act falls into this category as well.
The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act was effective in 1967 in which it requires the label to state the following under
15USC1453 in the US Code:
* the identity of the product;
* the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor;
* the net quantity of contents.
The Jungle was during a period of time in which labeling requirements would not regulated. You could purchase a box of
chocolate which appears to have a pound of candy but once opened contains only a small piece. You would not know who made
it or where it was made. Today this is highly regulated.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic act strictly talks about misbranded products as well. Misbranding and adulteration
of products is a key understanding when reading The Jungle. A great example of this would be buying spoiled meat that would
taste good for many once cooked and labeled "head cheese" as it was in The Jungle. Refer to the 'Quotes' section
to read more on this.
Last but not least, the Safe Drinking Water Act gives us a little more assurance that our water supply will be safe.
Monitored by the EPA, we found in 2008 it is not as safe as we thought. Pharmaceutical drugs which are being flushed down
the toilet are being traced back to our water supply. Packaging can be a significant contributor by amending the Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act to provide for a suffice label of properly disposing of the drugs. Even though the amount found is minor,
we have not determined the long term affects of these drugs. Improper disposal of these drugs is the main cause. We can
all be thankful that it is not killing us off the way it did in The Jungle.
The Jungle explains the meatpacking plant conditions and by relating it today, the transformation is evident. No more
eating human parts, rats, spoiled/rotten food, getting sick from chemical preservatives, or dieing from diseased animals.
Cases are still arising everyday due to provisions companies are not setting for themselves and bypassing the regulations
and agencies set to enforce the law. However, these days we should feel rather lucky for what the government has established.
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