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The FDA at 120: A Long, Distinguished History Protecting Americans

There may be no better illustration of the critical and integral role the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has played in the history of our nation’s health than the timely juxtaposition of two anniversaries occurring this year – our nation’s 250^th and the FDA’s 120^th.  That’s because this confluence underscores how, for nearly half of our nation’s existence, Americans have relied on, and benefited from, the FDA’s oversight of our food, medical products, veterinary products, cosmetics, and so much more. 

The FDA’s regulatory role began in 1906 with the passage of the Pure Food and Drugs Act, which authorized the Bureau of Chemistry—the FDA’s immediate predecessor—to regulate contaminated, misbranded, and dangerous foods and medicines. The agency did not receive its present name, the Food and Drug Administration, until 1930. Over time, the FDA’s basic law has been repeatedly amended, augmented, and strengthened in response to gaps or shortcomings, further enhancing the FDA’s essential role as the nation’s guardian of public health.