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of moldy or rotten foods. People had to rely on the “sight and smell” test when buying groceries or meat, and food-borne illnesses were widespread. In 1850, even President Zachary Taylor died of a bacterial infection in his intestines, caused by eating spoiled cherries and iced milk at a picnic. (Some sources dispute this and say he was assassinated, but both versions could be true.) People in those days were unaware of how food poisoning from the following toxic bacteria could cause illness, hospitalization, or death:

• norovirus • Salmonella (non-typhoidal) • Campylobacter • Listeria monocytogenes • Toxoplasma gondii • Clostridium botulinum

See the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foodborne-germs.html) for an A-to-Z list of all food-borne illnesses. Food adulteration was another problem in the 1850s. Many medical reports publicized the dangers of adulterated foods that contained added toxic substances. Experts at the time believed that adulterated foods had contributed to the decline in Americans’ life expectancy. Some US states passed laws against food adulteration, but the laws didn’t apply to foods sold across state lines. These laws harmed everyone who produced regional specialty foods, because con men sold fake versions of those items in other states. So big producers, such as H.J. Heinz and Frederick Pabst, lobbied for the creation of a federal agency to regulate foods and beverages. In 1862, President Abraham

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