In 1902, Congress authorized funds for human trials of controversial food preservatives to determine if they could be used safely. Dr. Harvey Wiley (third from left on back row), Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry, surrounded by young men who agreed to be test subjects. They soon became known popularly as “the Poison Squad.”
Courtesy of FDA
Courtesy of FDA
In 1902, Congress authorized funds for human trials of controversial food preservatives to determine if they could be used safely. Dr. Harvey Wiley (third from left on back row), Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry, surrounded by young men who agreed to be test subjects. They soon became known popularly as “the Poison Squad.”
By the late 19th century, the American food supply was rife with frauds, fakes, and legions of untested and often deadly chemicals that threatened the health of consumers. The Poison Squad, based on the acclaimed book by Deborah Blum, tells the story of a little known government chemist named Dr. Harvey Wiley, who, determined to banish these dangerous substances from the American diet, took on the powerful food manufacturers and their allies in government. To demonstrate the peril lurking in these ubiquitous chemicals — from copper sulfate to borax to formaldehyde — Wiley embarked upon a series of bold and controversial trials on human subjects — a dozen brave young men who would become known as the “Poison Squad.” Following Wiley’s unusual experiments and tireless crusade for food safety, the film charts the path of the forgotten man whose work would become the basis for our consumer protection laws, and ultimately the creation of the FDA.
Soon newspaper reporters were covering the colorful and often stomach-churning exploits of Wiley’s “Poison Squad” and the public was transfixed. Other progressives joined Wiley’s “pure food” movement, including women’s groups and suffragists, the influential cookbook writer Fannie Farmer, and readers of Upton Sinclair’s groundbreaking novel The Jungle, which was filled with shocking revelations about the conditions in America’s meatpacking plants.
Watch the latest episode of American Experience – The Poison Squad on WITF Tuesday January 28 at 9:00 PM. This is a change from the TV Listings Guide schedule originally published for January. PBS has originally planned encores of two older episodes of American Experience. Those episodes have been dropped in favor of premiering this new film.
American Experience is also available to stream through the PBS Video app on your smart television, tablet or phone and through WITF’s website.
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