Indiana Law Journal Volume 41 | Issue 3 Article 2 Spring 1966 The oF od and Drug Administration and the Economic Adulteration of Foods Wesley E. Forte Member, Pennsylvania Bar Follow this and additional works at: http://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/ilj Part of the Food and Drug Law Commons, and the Law and Economics Commons Recommended Citation Forte, Wesley E. (1966) "The oodF and Drug Administration and the Economic Adulteration of Foods," Indiana Law Journal: Vol. 41 : Iss. 3 , Article 2. Available at: http://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/ilj/vol41/iss3/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School Journals at Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Indiana Law Journal by an authorized editor of Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND THE ECONOMIC ADULTERATION OF FOODS WESLEY E. FORTEt PART I: THE HISTORY OF OUR ECONOMIC ADULTERATION LAW The economic adulteration of foods is an ancient cheat and scholars have found references to it in the laws of Moses and the early literature of China, Greece and Rome.1 The reported economic adulterations of foods increased unmistakably in the 1800's and early 1900's' and it was in this period of public indignation resulting from reports of milk diluted with water, coffee diluted with chicory and other roasted vegetable products, maple syrup diluted with cane sugar or glucose, and spices diluted with ground wheat and corn that Congress first passed prophylactic legislation preventing the debasement of foods.3 This legislation was part of the 1906 Food and Drugs Act.4 The provisions of the 1906 Act dealing with economic adulteration were t Member of the Pennsylvania Bar.