Sherley Amendment Research Paper

When we go to the store and buy our groceries, we expect the labels we read to be accurate. Many people rely on labels to help them stay safe and healthy. However there have been incidents where this is not the case. It has been found that in certain foods there are unlisted ingredients added to foods that claim they are “100% juice”, these unlisted ingredients are unfair to consumers who expect their labels to be accurate. Labels and packaging have also been found to be misleading. For the consumer who is trying to diet and is looking for a healthier option, the packaging can be confusing and untruthful. The naturalness of a product is also questionable because of all the added pesticides. All of these factors have led to serious issues

Many new laws have come from this, now products are required to have the country of origin as well. Originally foods and drugs were not required to have labels. It has come a long way, reaching many milestones, beginning in 1820 with eleven chemists meeting “to establish the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the first compendium of standard drugs for the United States. In 1912 Congress enacted the Sherley Amendment to overcome the ruling in U.S. v. Johnson. It prohibits labeling medicines with false therapeutic claims intended to defraud the purchaser (FDA)”. In 1937 Elixir of Sulfanilamide which contained the poisonous solvent diethylene glycol, killed 107 people, mostly children. This enforced “the need to establish drug safety before marketing and to enact the pending food and drug law (FDA)”. In 1938 congress passed the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This created new regulations for the food, drug and cosmetic industries (US FDA). Without these and many other acts, food labeling would not be where it is today, however there is still much needed improvement.

The first reason is how the inaccuracy of food labeling can have adverse consequences involving an individual with a food allergy. Individuals with a food allergy commonly check the ingredients listed in their items before consuming, however if their allergen is not listed it could result in an allergic reaction or even death. It has been found that as many as one-fourth of all food manufacturers do not list their raw ingredients such as nuts or eggs, common foods that many are allergic to (FDA