Food and Drug Administration | Description, History, Activities | Britannica (2025)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), agency of the U.S. federal government authorized by Congress to inspect, test, approve, and set safety standards for foods and food additives, drugs, chemicals, cosmetics, and household and medical devices.

First known as the Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration when it was formed as a separate law enforcement agency in 1927, the FDA derives the greater part of its regulatory power from four laws: the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which established safety and purity standards and provided for factory inspection and for legal remedy; the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, which required honest, informative, and standardized labeling of products; the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act, which was designed to protect consumers from possible excess radiation generated by X-ray machines, televisions, microwave ovens, and the like; and the Public Health Service Act, which gave the FDA authority over vaccines and serums and justified the agency’s programs for milk sanitation and the inspection of restaurants and travel facilities.

Generally, the FDA is empowered to prevent untested products from being sold and to take legal action to halt sale of undoubtedly harmful products or of products which involve a health or safety risk. Through court procedure, the FDA can seize products and prosecute the persons or firms responsible for legal violation. FDA authority is limited to interstate commerce. The agency cannot control prices or directly regulate advertising except of prescription drugs and medical devices.