Achievements Under the 1906 Act

• Revolutionized food supply

  • Encouraged better sanitation in food processing

  • Discouraged use of chemical preservatives

• Revolutionized drug labeling with regard to ingredients

• Presence of federal food and drug inspector encouraged compliance

Achievements under the 1906 Act. In the first decade after its passage, the nation's food supply underwent a revolution. Accurate drug labels protected Americans from products with dangerous ingredients, including alcohol and morphine. Chemists worked to create methods of analysis to address the worst violations of the new food and drug statute. Inspectors coached food producers into compliance with the law, and failing that, they took them to court and began winning precedent-setting verdicts. Once producers realized that the playing field was level, more producers became profitable.