NATIONAL PURE FOOD AND DRUG LAWS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by tony benjamin
|
|
Sunday, 02 March 2008 |
|
Early laws. The first federal food and drug law was passed in 1906. It was not very effective. This was partly because it applied only to foods and drugs shipped from one stale to another and those involved in foreign commerce. There were no stiff penalties for selling impure food or for false advertising.
The present law. In 1938. a National Food, Drug. and Cosmetic Act was passed that gave the public greater protection. This act, as the name implies, covers the distribution of all cosmetics as well as of all foods and drugs. Under the act it is illegal to sell foods or drugs that have been adulterated, or made impure. It is illegal to sell foods and drugs that have had harmfuL ingredients added to them. In some cases adulteration consisting of adding coloring matter to material is permitted if this is noted on the bottle. However, a food or beverage that has been changed in quality cannot be sold under false pretenses. For example, skimmed milk cannot be sold as whole milk.
The act makes it unlawful to use false brands on materials or to use false or misleading labeling. It also provides penalties for offering goods for sale under the name of another food or for imitating a manufacturer's name or label. The label must contain the name of the manu?facturer, his place of business, and an accurate statement of the variety and quality of the contents.
If a drug contains a narcotic or substance which may be habit-forming, it must be labeled: Warning-may be habitfarming. Such drugs can be obtained only by a doctor's prescription. Labels of drugs must also bear adequate directions for use. No new drug products may be introduced into interstate commerce unless an application filed with the federal food and drugs administrator is approved.
The law of 1938 has been amended from time to time to keep pace with changes in present practices. Laws reeulating radio advertising have been strengthened, and new regulations covering television advertising have been itroduced.
Cosmetics. The law of 1938 brought other products besides Eoods and drugs under Eedera 1 control. Among these prod. ucts are cosmetics, including hair dye; The labels on hair dyes must list any ingredients in the product which may cause skin irritation. They must give directions for a preliminary test. Because of the danger of eye irritation and possible blindness. ingredients that can be used in eyelash or eyebrow dyes are greatly restricted.
Some of the advertising presented by unreliable people in the cosmetic industry is open to justified criticism by the public. Producers and distributors have been known to resort to false and misleading claims. They may escape action by the authorities for a time because of the large number of such cases that must be investigated and prosecuted. Such companies are as unpopular with reputable manufacturers as they are with government officials and people who have tried their products. Fortunately the public is becoming more and more alert to misbranding.
Recently a fingernail preparation ap?peared on the market which according to its advertising would strengthen, cleanse, and encourage the growth of the nails if applied each night. From your own study o( health principles, you can see that this claim is contrary to scientific knowledge. The growth and the strength of the nails arc determined by internal factors.
Recently three brands of hormone (estrogen) face creams were used in a test on women between thirty-five and sixtyfive. No beneficial effects on the skin were noticed. In fact it was concluded that regular use of any soothing cream would prove to be of equal benefit. Of course, the estrogen in these creams is present in such small amounts that use of the cream in average doses does no harm.
When tests of 102 brands of soap were made, only minor quality differences were found. The greatest differences were in things such as shape, color, packaging, and odor. Moreover, it has never been proved that lanolin or other ingredients used in soaps or shampoos have any specific value in relieving or preventing hair and scalp disorders.
People are sometimes misled by the claims made for toothpastes. As a rule toothpastes contain a mild abrasive soap, or some synthetic detergent, and some kind of thickening and flavoring. However, some toothpastes have been found to contain abrasives strong enough to scratch glass. You can realize that such toothpastes are not good for your teeth. In fact the best toothpaste for you is the one with the least abrasive which will keep your particular teeth reasonablv clean. It is the scrubbing, not the paste or powder, that does this.
|
|
Last Updated ( Sunday, 02 March 2008 )
|
Health Full
