Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

1. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act -Drafted in 1938 -Amendment Years were in 1954 and 1958 -National law in United States

2. 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.

3. 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.