Which act authorized the FDA to demand safety evidence for new drugs, issue standards for food, and conduct factory inspections?

• A. Kefauver-Harris Amendments
• B. Food and Drug Act of 1906
• C. Nutrition Labeling and Education Act
• D. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938

Answer: (D)

The important idea is regulatory authority: this act established the FDA’s power to require safety data for new drugs, set nationwide standards for foods, and allow regular factory inspections. Before this, the 1906 act mainly targeted adulteration and misbranding without giving the FDA strong premarket safety proving or routine facility inspections. The 1938 act fixed that gap, creating the framework that lets the FDA demand evidence of safety for drugs, standardize food quality, and police manufacturing practices. Later amendments and labeling acts built on this, but the 1938 law is the one that granted those core authorities.