The Food and Drug Administration

We've all heard of the Food and Drug Administration, but do you know exactly what it is? Just what is the FDA supposed to do? Read on to find out.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a division known as Public Health Service. The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of that division. The FDA's function is to make sure that food, cosmetics and products are safe and have honest labeling.

Heavy government regulation of food and drugs began with a law passed in 1906. This law made commerce of adulterated and misbranded (falsely advertised) drugs and food illegal. A person violating this law could be jailed and fined, and products could be condemned and seized. Manufacturers were not allowed to remove vital ingredients, substitute ingredients to reduce product quality, or use spoiled ingredients. In addition, if any product contained alcohol or certain narcotics, the product labeling had to state so.

The Food and Drug Administration began in 1931. It was originally part of the Department of Agriculture. Bills such as the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 strengthened the FDA's control by requiring new procedures and tests proving evidence of safety.

The FDA encompasses the centers for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Drug Evaluation and Research, Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Toxicological Research, and Devices and Radiological Health.

In the early 1990s the Food and Drug Administration changed processes again. The approval process for drugs is time-consuming, and the administration reprioritized certain drugs so that AIDS drugs had highest priority. The approval process for cancer drugs was also sped up. Then in 1997, Congress mandated the agency overhaul all drug approval processes.

Today, the FDA regulates numerous things, including: how safe the nation's blood supply is, the safety and labeling of cosmetics, labeling and manufacturing of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, safety and labeling of food and bottled water, and various medical processes and devices.

However, there are many related things that the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate. Advertising for everything except prescription drugs and medical devices is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. Alcohol and illegal drugs are also not regulated by the FDA.

The FDA also does not regulate health insurance, meat and poultry, pesticides, grocery stores, restaurants, or non-bottled water. Various household products like paint, appliances, toys, and child-resistant packaging falls under jurisdiction of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, not the Food and Drug Administration.

Sources:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-FoodNDru.html
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/hpview.html