Food production has been regulated in the United States since the mid1800s. But it was not until 1906, when both the Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act were enacted, that the government took major steps to protect consumers. The Food and Drug Act prohibited interstate commerce in misbranded and adulterated foods, drinks, and drugs. While it has since been repealed, new laws regulate a wide range of consumers' products.

The Food and Drug Law Institute is a small Washington D.C. non profit corporate membership organization in the food, biologics, medical device and drug area of law. It is committed to providing high quality education and a neutral forum for the generation of ideas and discussion of law and public policy for its legal, policy and regulatory communities.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one of the oldest consumer protection agencies in this country. Since 1979, it has been part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It regulates products that account for over one-fourth of all consumers pending. The FDA is responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their health.

The FDA protects the public from unsafe foods to drugs and from medical devices to cosmetics. It also protects the rights and safety of patients in clinical trials of new medical products and monitors the promotional activities of drug and device manufacturers. The FDA even regulates the labeling of all packaged foods and the safety of the nation's blood supply. The Food and Drug Law Institute recognizes growing interest in FDA's regulatory authority over products affecting human and animal health in the United States.

One of The Food and Drug Law Institute's goals has been to encourage development of a cadre of attorneys specifically trained in food and drug law. That goal has been expanded to include persons in other disciplines involved in the regulatory aspects of FDA regulated products. FDLI programs are intended for attorneys, regulatory affairs practitioners, scientists and healthcare professionals, government employees, marketers and other professionals.

There have been a number of important drug related laws passed in the United States. The Food Additives Amendment of 1957 requires the evaluation of food additives to establish safety. The Delaney Clause of 1958 forbids the use of substances found in foods causing cancer in laboratory animals. The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 regulates cosmetics and therapeutic devices. The Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendments of 1962 has to do with a drug law requiring drug manufacturers to show that their drugs were safe. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 requires all packaged foods to carry labels with nutrition information.

Public health is vital for the future of a nation, so measure should be taken to protecting it.