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The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth CenturyA New York Times Notable Book The inspiration for PBS's AMERICAN EXPERIENCE film The Poison Squad. From Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author Deborah Blum, the dramatic true story of how food was made safe in the United States and the heroes, led by the inimitable Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, who fought for change By the end of nineteenth century, food was dangerous. Lethal, even. "Milk" might contain formaldehyde, most often
A New York Times Notable Book The inspiration for PBS's AMERICAN EXPERIENCE film The Poison Squad. From Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times-bestselling author Deborah Blum, the dramatic true story of how food was made safe in the United States and the heroes, led by the inimitable Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, who fought for change By the end of nineteenth century, food was dangerous. Lethal, even. "Milk" might contain formaldehyde, most often used to embalm corpses. Decaying meat was preserved with both salicylic acid, a pharmaceutical chemical, and borax, a compound first identified as a cleaning product. This was not by accident; food manufacturers had rushed to embrace the rise of industrial chemistry, and were knowingly selling harmful products. Unchecked by government regulation, basic safety, or even labelling requirements, they put profit before the health of their customers. By some estimates, in New York City alone, thousands of children were killed by "embalmed milk" every year. Citizens--activists, journalists, scientists, and women's groups--began agitating for change. But even as protective measures were enacted in Europe, American corporations blocked even modest regulations. Then, in 1883, Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, a chemistry professor from Purdue University, was named chief chemist of the agriculture department, and the agency began methodically investigating food and drink fraud, even conducting shocking human tests on groups of young men who came to be known as, "The Poison Squad." Over the next thirty years, a titanic struggle took place, with the courageous and fascinating Dr. Wiley campaigning indefatigably for food safety and consumer protection. Together with a gallant cast, including the muckraking reporter Upton Sinclair, whose fiction revealed the horrific truth about the Chicago stockyards; Fannie Farmer, then the most famous cookbook author in the country; and Henry J. Heinz, one of the few food producers who actively advocated for pure food, Dr. Wiley changed history. When the landmark 1906 Food and Drug Act was finally passed, it was known across the land, as "Dr. Wiley's Law." Blum brings to life this timeless and hugely satisfying "David and Goliath" tale with righteous verve and style, driving home the moral imperative of confronting corporate greed and government corruption with a bracing clarity, which speaks resoundingly to the enormous social and political challenges we face today.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 09/24/2019
ISBN: 9780143111122
Pages: 352
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.50w x 0.80d
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 1
Not even close on the size
Size: 3X-Large, Color: White
Size is not even close to correct. Ordered a 3xl but the actual size was closer to a XL or even a large. Be wary on the sizes. They are not accurate
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Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2026
★★★★★ 4
Nice suit but runs way too big
Size: Medium, Color: Blue-2 Pieces, Size: Medium, Color: Blue-2 Pieces
Medium fit like an extra large had to get tailored for my husband for our wedding kind of an inconvenience other than that it was a very nice suit and it looked great!!
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Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Great prom suit
Size: X-Small, Color: Royal Blue-3pieces
The quality is awesome. Just needed a few alterations and my done is set for the prom
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Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Fun alternative to traditional tuxedo
Size: Large, Color: Black-2 Pieces, Size: Large, Color: Black-2 Pieces
Fairly good quality. Hubby wore this as fun alternative to his regular tux in a cruise elegant night. Looked sharp and we even got family pictures in it.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Great for price ⭐
Size: Small, Color: Blue-2 Pieces, Size: Small, Color: Blue-2 Pieces
Bought this for my son's junior prom and it looked so good on him. I had to get a few alterations done because it was a bit too big for him but all in all great quality for the price.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2025