The Dye is Cast

We love to imagine the past as a time when food was pure — natural, straight from the farm, and untouched by chemicals. But that golden age of wholesome eating? Total myth. Even as far back as the late 1800s and early 1900s, American food was anything but wholesome. Unscrupulous dairymen watered down milk and whitened it with chalk or plaster dust. If the milk began to sour, they didn’t throw it out — they freshened it up with a splash of formaldehyde. That’s right, the same stuff used to preserve corpses.

Butter was frequently blended with borax to stay fresh longer. And coffee? It might include anything from sand and tree bark to ground acorns and charcoal.

There were no ingredient lists. No safety checks. No laws against selling toxic food to unsuspecting families.

Human Lab Rats
In 1883, Dr. Harvey Wiley joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture as its chief chemist. At the time, the USDA had no power to regulate what Americans ate — it could only study and report. But Wiley had a bold idea: if lawmakers wouldn’t listen to reports, maybe they’d listen to people getting sick.

So he assembled the “Poison Squad,” a group of young clerks who volunteered to eat meals laced with preservatives like borax, salicylic acid, and formaldehyde — just to see what happened. What happened was nausea, headaches, and in some cases, lasting health issues. But it also made headlines.

Food Fight
Wiley’s crusade captured the public’s imagination. Newspapers ran the story, and people began asking: What’s in our food? Who’s protecting us? At the time, the answer was no one.

Wiley used his platform — and his data — to push for stronger protections, taking on powerful food manufacturers and chemical companies along the way. He teamed up with women’s groups, physicians, journalists, and consumer advocates to help pass the landmark Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 — the first federal law to stop companies from selling mislabeled or toxic food and medicine.

Frustrated by industry interference, Wiley eventually left government. But he didn’t give up. He joined Good Housekeeping, launched the Seal of Approval, and kept fighting for honest, safe products — from the pages of a magazine.

Colorful Chemicals Linger
This week, more than a century after Wiley’s campaign, the FDA announced it will work with the food industry to voluntarily eliminate six commonly used petroleum-based dyes by the end of next year. These dyes — while chemically different from crude oil — have raised concerns about possible links to behavioral problems in children.

The FDA is also beginning the process to ban two more food dyes — Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B — and is urging companies to fast-track the removal of Red No. 3, a dye banned in cosmetics but still allowed in some foods.

It’s a step forward. But other petroleum-based additives — like glossy chocolate coatings, imitation almond flavor, and synthetic vanilla — are still widely used.

The Fight Isn’t Over — It’s Just Evolved
We’ve come a long way since the days of borax butter and formaldehyde milk, thanks to pioneers like Harvey Wiley. But while today’s threats may come with cleaner packaging and scientific-sounding names, the core issue remains — profits too often take priority over people.

So keep reading labels. Keep asking questions. Keep pushing for research. Because if history teaches us anything, it’s that food safety isn’t a guarantee — it’s a fight.

Happy reading,

Suzanne Daniels

Enjoy the weekend!

Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]