Final answer:
The Food Additive Amendment of 1958, or Delaney Clause, mandated the ban of food additives shown to cause cancer. It assigned the FDA the task of regulating all food additives to ensure their safety and accurate labeling before being allowed in the food supply, contradicting options A, C, and D.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Food Additive Amendment of 1958, also known as the Delaney Clause, was a significant piece of legislation that had a profound impact on the way food additives are regulated in the United States. The amendment did not allow unrestricted use of food additives, nor did it encourage the use of them without safety testing. Arguably, its most pivotal role was that it required the banning of food additives proven to induce cancer in humans or animals (option B). This means the right answer to the question is option B.
Prior to the amendment, food additives did not undergo the rigorous safety assessments they do today. Following the amendment, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had the authority to regulate additives and ensure their safety before they could be used in the food supply. The amendment fundamentally shifted the landscape of food safety, ensuring that the burden of proving the safety of food additives fell on manufacturers.
The amendment also set the stage for future regulations on substances like color additives and laid the groundwork for a more science-based approach to food safety that considered toxicity and long-term health effects. The work of the FDA, advancements in food technology, and the ongoing evaluation of food additives guarantee that the types of substances added to our foods are to be carefully considered and checked for safety.