Food Law Handbook

Of all industries in the United States, the food industry must in fact be the most regulated by law. If it is not, its competition for this distinction goes unnoticed. All phases of the food industry are subjected to some control by law, beginning with the land food is grown on and the oceans from which it is harvested. Seed and plant stock are sometimes subjected to control such as to the nutritional value of the foods they produce. Acreages of agricultural crops, the quantities of foods to be produced, are regulated. As foods are produced, whether from plants or animals, the substances applied to increase yields or provide protection from pests are controlled to insure safe use. As foods enter and pass through the huge marketing system they are scrutinized from beginning to end by regulatory agents operating under authority of food laws. Those foods which are transformed through various technologies into today's thousands of consumer products are watched carefully to insure the appropriateness and safety of added ingredients, not all of which are natural, and the adequacy of processing, packaging and storage. Finally, the representation of foods to consumers through labeling and advertising is controlled to make sure it is accurate and sufficiently informative.

1 History of Food Laws in the United States.- 2 The Setting for Food Regulatory Programs.- 3 The Legal System in the United States Government.- 4 Establishing a Legal Basis for Food Regulatory Programs.- 5 The Enactment of Federal Legislation.- 6 Publication, Documentation and Codification of Federal Legislation.- 7 Regulations.- 8 Publication of Federal Regulations.- 9 How to Use the Code of Federal Regulations and the Federal Register.- 10 Regulatory Agencies.- 11 Food Standards.- 12 Product Liability.- 13 Current Federal Food Laws.- 14 Selected Laws Relating to Operation of the Federal Government.- 15 United States Grain Standards Act of 1976.- 16 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.- 17 United States Warehouse Act.- 18 Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930.- 19 Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.- 20 Animal Welfare Act.- 21 Federal Trade Commission Act.- 22 Fair Packaging and Labeling Act.- 23 Tea Importation Act.- 24 Filled Milk Act.- 25 Import Milk Act.- 26 Butter Act.- 27 Dry Milk Solids Act.- 28 Federal Meat Inspection Act.- 29 Poultry Products Inspection Act.- 30 Egg Products Inspection Act.- 31 Federal Alcohol Administration Act and the Internal Revenue Code-Alcohol Excise Taxes.- 32 Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.- 33 Clean Water Act of 1977.- 34 Public Health Service Act: Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance; Grade A Condensed and Dry Milk Products Sanitation Ordinance; Safe Drinking Water Act.- 35 Environmental Law: National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 Clean Air Act Noise Control Act of 1972.- 36 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act: The Extent of Its Intent.- 37 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Sections 301, 321, 321a, 321b and 321c: Short Title and Definitions.- 38 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Sections 331-337: Prohibited Acts and Penalties.- 39 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Section 341: Definitions and Standards for Foods.- 40 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Section 342: Adulterated Food.- 41 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Section 343: Misbranded Food.- 42 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Sections 344 and 345: Emergency Permit Control; Regulations Making Exemptions.- 43 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Section 346: Tolerances for Poisonous and Deleterious Substances in Food.- 44 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Sections 346a and 346b: Tolerances for Pesticide Chemicals in or on Raw Agricultural Commodities; Authorization of Appropriations.- 45 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Sections 347, 347a and 347b: Oleomargarine.- 46 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Section 348: Food Additives.- 47 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Sections 349, 350 and 350a: Bottled Drinking Water Standards; Vitamins and Minerals; Infant Formulas.- 48 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Sections 371-375: Regulations, Hearings and Other Administrative Provisions; Seafood Inspection.- 49 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Section 376: Listing and Certification of Color Additives for Foods, Drugs, Devices and Cosmetics.- 50 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Sections 377-379: Advertising of Foods; Confidential Information.- 51 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act-Sections 381, 391 and 392: Imports and Exports; Miscellaneous.- Appendix A-Action Levels for Poisonous or Deleterious Substances.- Appendix B-Defect Action Levels.- Appendix C-List of General Food Categories.- Laws Cited.