The Poison Squad

The Poison Squad was a group formed in the early 1900s by Dr. Harvey Wiley, a food chemist and advocate for food safety. They volunteered to consume foods containing preservatives and artificial additives to test their effects on health. Their experiments aimed to highlight the dangers of unregulated food chemicals amid growing concerns about food safety. The findings helped raise awareness and eventually led to the establishment of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the implementation of stricter food safety regulations, ensuring safer food for consumers.