History of Fda

History of the FDA

From a staff of one to over 9,000, the Food and Drug Administration has seen great changes since it was first created in 1862. Stemming from a single chemist in the U.S. Department of agriculture, the FDA now encompasses most food products, both human and animal drugs, cosmetics and animal feed.

The FDA received it start under a different name. First called the Division of Chemistry, which played a small part in everyday life, then in July of 1901, the name was again changed to the Bureau of Chemistry. The FDA that we now know came from the passage of a bill in 1906, the Federal Food and Drug Act shaped the role that the FDA would come to play. The bill gave the FDA its power to regulate over a wide subject matter. In 1927 the name was again changed from the Bureau of Chemistry to the Food, Drug and Insecticide Administration. Once again, in 1930 the name was changed, it was now called the FDA and still had all of its original power. The Depart of Agriculture controlled the FDA, and then its power was shifted to Federal Security Agency. In the year of 1953, the FDA was again transferred to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Today the FDA currently sits within the Department of Public Health Services, still a part of the HEW.

The power that the FDA has comes from its ability to regulate and control. The FDA has its own set of laws that it regulates. The ultimate control of the FDA comes from the way in which the courts view and interpret their regulations.

Before the creation of the FDA, the power to regulate was given to the states. This caused many problems as each state has different rules and regulations. The federal government did little to nothing in the way is controlled the distribution of Food and Drugs. The makers of consumer drugs had no control over their product and where often undercut by makers of cheaper, less potent drugs. The same issue happened with food where there was no control of the way that food was made and shipped between the states.

Upon its creation the FDA did not take control of the way that food and drugs were made and sold. It was not until 1883, when the FDA took a different stand and began monitoring food and drugs. The first real show of power for the FDA came in a study from 1887 to 1902, when they showed great concern over chemical preservatives in some produce. Later, in the 20th century the FDA played a very important role in the lives of every citizen, when its started to control the way in which food and drugs could be produced and shipped. They now control the way that food can be made for consumers to eat and the test that a drug must undergo before it can be made available to the public. The FDA currently has a Federal Budget of almost 1.3 billion dollars, 150 field offices through the country, and controlling the sale of over 1 trillion dollars worth of products every year.

Regulations of the Food and Drug Administration

The Food and Drug Administration has number of different responsibilities when it comes to what falls under its purview. The FDA is charged with ensuring that food that are both wholesome and sanitary, as well as making sure that medical devices are safe and effective in their use. They are also required to make sure that cosmetics that people use are safe and that the radiation that electronic devices emit is well below the level that is safe for living bodies to withstand.

The first part of the FDA’s responsibilities is to ensure food is safe for public consumption. This includes ensuring that each product is properly labeled with its relevant ingredients in order to avoid having consumers eat food that may be harmful to them. They also regulate the nutritional information that is put on food. Some foods, however, do not fall under their jurisdiction. Poultry, as well as most meats (the FDA still regulates game meats such as venison, ostrich, and snake) fall to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to oversee, specifically their Food Safety and Inspection Service. The FDA also does not monitor water (though they still regulate bottled water), as that falls to the Environmental Protection Agency to determine standards for drinking water. Also, alcohol does not fall under the FDA, as that is regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

The FDA also looks at several products that have chemical implications to them, such as drugs. It looks at drug manufacturing standards, as well as the labels of each drug (both over-the-counter and prescription drugs) and must give its approval on new drugs before they can be sold to the public. The FDA also looks at cosmetics. It must ensure that, like food articles, each product is properly labeled as to what comprises each item. Biological products, such as the nation’s blood supply, are also regulated by the FDA. It does research to improve upon the testing methods of blood, to ensure that the supply in hazard free. It also is in charge of handing out licenses to product and manufacturing establishments.

The FDA also watches certain electrical devices to make sure that they do not give off adverse amounts of radiation. Examples of equipment that fall under its jurisdiction are radiation safety performance standards for microwave ovens, television receivers, diagnostic x-ray equipment, cabinet x-ray systems (such as baggage x-rays at airports), laser products, ultrasonic therapy equipment, mercury vapor lamps, and sunlamps. They are also in charge of going to mammography facilities and inspecting them.

Finally, the last two things that the FDA covers are medical devices and veterinary products. The FDA needs to ensure that all medical devices meet the standards for manufacturing and performance, as well as approving new devices before they come out. They also keep track of any incidents of a device malfunctioning or patients having adverse effects to the treatment the device is giving them. When it comes to veterinary products, the FDA is supposed to keep regulate both pet foods, as well as feeds given to livestock. They monitor the devices of veterinarians and the drugs that they use.

There are a number of regulations that the FDA shares with other agencies, other than the ones mentioned earlier. When it comes to drugs that are approved for medical applications, but not for recreational use, the FDA and the Drug Enforcement Agency decide how much are produced each year. The EPA, USDA, and FDA also get together when it comes to regulating the pesticides that are used to grow the food that we eat.

Future of the FDA

In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration celebrated 100 years. As 2007 rolls on, the Administration is coming across