Download Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (1938)

*
-Drafted in 1938
-Amendment Years
were in 1954 and 1958
-National law in United
States
Description of Function;
Environmental Issues Affected
* Set of laws that was passed by Congress in 1938 and gave
authority to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA,
to oversee the safety of food, drugs, and cosmetics
* Goals: One, the protection of the public’s safety by
regulating the safety, purity, and effectiveness of products
like drugs. Two, is to disclose accurate information in the
product labeling and there are civil and criminal
enforcements if product labels are inaccurate. Three, the
U.S. government can inspect, test, approve, and set safety
standards for food, drugs, chemicals, and cosmetics. Four,
factory inspections for safety and purity standards. Any new
drugs, medical devices, or food additives must first be
approved by the FDA before they can even be marketed to
the public.
* Environmental Issues: Helps ensure that the public is not
exposed to harmful food, drugs, or cosmetics and ensures the
consumer knows either what is in the product itself, or that
the FDA found it safe enough to approve.
Agency/Group Responsible for
Regulation and Enforcement
* The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA,
is responsible for implementing the act while
the FFDCA limits pesticide residues on food in
interstate commerce which includes imports.
* The FDA is responsible for $1 trillion a year
worth of products and has to ensure the safety
and effectiveness of all foods (besides meats
and poultry), drugs, biological products,
medical devices, animal drugs, animal food,
and cosmetics. The process takes many years
to approve products and medicines and the FDA
is very strict.