In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation that created the agency with legal authority to seize goods in interstate commerce that were adulterated, contained additives injurious to health, or contained filthy, decomposed or putrid substances. Thirty-two years later, Roosevelt’s cousin Franklin signed the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which significantly strengthened the Food and Drug Administration’s powers.
The FDA’s authority and commitment to ensuring a safe food supply have continued to increase over the years. The year 1971 saw the enactment of regulations to ensure the safety of canned low-acid foods following the Bon Vivant vichyssoise soup botulism outbreak. Regulations governing acidified foods followed. Finally we saw the enactment in 2011 of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which had bipartisan support.