Food safety: its effects on the regulation of agricultural products Foodborne diseases have always been a major problem regarding human health. Until the advent of the Industrial Revolution, the human population increased significantly during this period and has continued to increase ever since. Food production, as well as the human population, also had to be greatly increased. One of the problems of this new period was the introduction of more diseases; people were often crowded into small places and these cities breed all kinds of different pathogens. Widespread outbreaks of cholera and other foodborne illnesses were common. People began to fear the food they ate and doubt the cleanliness of agricultural products. Government involvement was necessary to combat these new epidemics. Food safety laws were then put in place to prevent widespread outbreaks and ensure food quality. Food safety has had a profound impact on the regulation and production of agricultural products. The introduction of food safety to the United States can be attributed to literary works produced by muckraker journalists in the early 1900s. The use of yellow journalism exposed the appalling conditions of the meat processing industry. A good example would be the novel The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair, which helped expose many of the problems present in the food industry. After this pressure was exerted, the United States government stepped in and proposed two laws: the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and the Meat Inspection Act. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was among the first consumer protection laws enacted by the federal government in the 20th century. This ultimate act...... middle of paper ......een exposed. This includes hiding information from food manufacturers and also increasing support for health inspectors so that they can do their job properly. Health inspectors should have authority in the food industry and businesses should comply with food safety regulations, but because businesses do not want to lose money, they are sometimes reluctant to comply with food safety requirements. USDA. On the other hand, the USDA has had some success, including reducing cases of foodborne illnesses in the coming year. The USDA was also successful in publicly announcing food safety guidance across the country with simple guidelines: clean, separate, cook and refrigerate. American food safety has played an important role in the regulation and production of agricultural products and will continue to improve the cleanliness and safety of American agricultural products..