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The Food and Drug Administration

The Purpose of the FDA: The Food and Drug Administration exists solely for the purpose of protecting the population of the United States from harmful products. Though many see this as a way for the government to control the choices of the citizens, the results of not having this protective presence would be frightening. Thousands would die per year due to toxic ingredients in products, bacteria, and other sources

The FDA covers a wide variety of products in insuring the safety of the average consumer. A few examples are X-ray devices utilized by health care professionals, pharmaceutical drugs, microwave ovens, make-up and cosmetics, and pet food, as well as food designed for human consumption, but not meat products or poultry products.

Origins: The Food and Drug Administration started out with one USDA chemist in the late 1800's whit a concern for the upcoming technological revolution. This chemist believed that with the onslaught of technology, some products might actually be harmful to consumers. It was his passion to make sure that these dangerous products would never reach the citizens of his fair country. Today, the Food and Drug Administration is comprised of over nine thousand researchers with a budget that exceeds one billion dollars annually.

Misconceptions: The Food and Drug Administration is thought to be a presence mainly in Washington D.C., our nations capital, but the truth is that the FDA is everywhere in the United States. There are over one hundred field offices and research institutions located throughout the continental United States.

The FDA does not merely stick to monitoring products made and distributed within the United States, but also those that are exported to other countries and those that are being created in other countries to be imported into the United States.

One Popular issue with those who are against the presence of the Food and Drug Administration is that it is costing them money, in the form of the taxpayer dollars. This is, to an extent, true. The payroll and funding of FDA employees and research is actually paid for by the taxpayer dollars, but the argument is left invalid with the realization that the average cost per taxpayer per year to maintain the FDA is roughly three dollars.

When considering the importance of the Food and Drug Administration, take a look at other countries where no such presence exists. Take a special notice to how many products that are produced and distributed there that have resulted in the deaths of innocent consumers, men, women, and children, simply because there was no one there to monitor the products.

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