The Poison Eaters: Fighting Danger and Fraud in our Food and Drugs

Gail Jarrow

In 1900, chemicals used in embalming fluids (formaldehyde), cleaning supplies (borax), and acne medications (salicylic acid) were routinely added to food that Americans ate from cans and jars. Often products weren't safe because unregulated, unethical companies added these and other chemicals to trick consumers into buying spoiled food or harmful medicines. Chemist Harvey Washington Wiley recognized these dangers and began a relentless thirty-year campaign to ensure that consumers could purchase safe food and drugs, eventually leading to the creation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.

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