Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act

Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act

Legislation in the United States, passed in 1938, that gave the Food and Drug Administration the authority to certify the safety of food, food additives, medicines, and so forth. It also gives the FDA the ability to classify goods as cosmetics, though it does not regulate cosmetics. The Act gave consumers grounds to sue companies for selling unsafe products; the government may pursue criminal penalties for repeated or fraudulent violations.