What does the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 prohibit?

The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was a landmark piece of legislation that aimed to address public health concerns related to the safety and labeling of food and drugs in the United States. The correct answer identifies that the Act prohibits the adulteration and misbranding of foods and drugs.

Adulteration refers to the alteration of a food or drug, typically by adding inferior or harmful substances, which compromises its quality, safety, or efficacy. Misbranding involves misleading labeling practices that can misinform consumers about the contents, uses, or benefits of a product. The Act was designed to protect consumers by ensuring that products were accurately represented and met certain standards of quality.

The other options, while related to drug safety and regulation, do not specifically encapsulate the primary prohibitions laid out in the Pure Food and Drug Act. For example, marketing drugs without safety proof and misleading information about drug efficacy pertain more to later laws and amendments, such as the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938, which addressed safety testing and efficacy. Similarly, the distribution of unregulated cosmetics is not directly related to the 1906 Act, as it focused primarily on food and drugs, not cosmetics, which were addressed in subsequent legislation.