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Services of the U.S. Hygienic Laboratory are transferred to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

1972

PH
SANI

The U.S. Hygienic Laboratory emerged at an early point in germ theory when good hygiene was seen as essential to good health. Its focus was on public education related to sanitation and cleanliness to prevent the spread of germs, and also provided funding for experimentation on germ-killing agents, such as disinfectants and antiseptics.

This shift continues the move away from a focus on the context and conditions surrounding food and health, and towards managing, changing, and improving the physical chemistry of regulated substances.