June 30 in American History

June 30, 1906 — the Pure Food and Drug Act

Spurred partly by Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle, which exposed filthy conditions in the meatpacking industry, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the law banning tainted food and mislabeled drugs — and creating the agency that became the FDA. For the first time, Americans had federal assurance that their food and medicine were what the label claimed.

Common Questions

What happened on June 30 in American history?

In 1906: the Pure Food and Drug Act. Spurred partly by Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle, which exposed filthy conditions in the meatpacking industry, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the law banning tainted food and mislabeled drugs — and creating the agency that became the FDA.

Why is June 30 significant?

Spurred partly by Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle, which exposed filthy conditions in the meatpacking industry, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the law banning tainted food and mislabeled drugs — and creating the agency that became the FDA. For the first time, Americans had federal assurance that their food and medicine were what the label claimed.

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