Commemorative issue Pure food & drug laws 50th anniversary
Harvey Washington Wiley
Harvey Washington Wiley was instrumental in the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and its effective administration. Prior to that law, nearly 200 legislative measures were proposed and rejected in Congress. The law defined adulteration, outlawed interstate transportation of adulterated foods, and prohibited the misbranding of foods and drugs. By 1906, relatively little use had been made of advertising, other than the claims made on the product label. Therefore, it was believed that an emphasis on stating the truth on the label would be an adequate protection against misrepresentation and fraudulent terms. The effectiveness of the law suffered because it did not anticipate the dramatic changes taking place in consumer marketing and advertising. Limitations of the act were recognized quickly and further legislation was approved.