Ep. 2: The Poison Squad: How America Learned to Read Labels

Before 1906, food and medicine manufacturers could put almost anything in their products—and they did. Cocaine in cough syrup, formaldehyde in milk, and sawdust in bread were just the beginning. This episode of Signed Into Law explores how a brave chemist named Harvey Wiley assembled the "Poison Squad"—volunteers who ate contaminated food to prove its dangers—and how their sacrifice led to the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, the law that gave us ingredient labels and created the foundation for the FDA.Discover the shocking story of America's fight for safe food and honest medicine, and learn how one law changed what we eat and trust forever. Subscribe to Signed Into Law to explore the fascinating stories behind the laws that shaped America.This episode includes AI-generated content.