Behind the Bastards Part One: The Food And Drug Administration
Feb 1, 2022
Matt Lieb, a comedian, joins Robert to discuss the dark history of the Food And Drug Administration including topics such as food adulteration, formaldehyde poisoning, Upton Sinclair's reform efforts, and the widespread adulteration of food and drink products.
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Food Preservation Enabled Colonialism
- Early food preservation failures exposed the need for regulatory oversight in the 1800s.
- These methods enabled longer-distance food trade, fueling global colonial expansion.
Formaldehyde Milk Poisoned Infants
- City milk in the late 1800s was often poisoned with formaldehyde to extend shelf life.
- This practice caused thousands of infant deaths annually, as poison dosing became rampant.
Milk Was Toxicly Adulterated
- Milk adulterers added water and masked its appearance with plaster of Paris, chalk, and even brain matter.
- Some producers added lead to improve milk's color, further increasing toxicity.