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United States v. Anderson Seafoods, Inc., Anderson Seafoods, Inc. v. Patricia Roberts Harris, Secretary of Health and Human Services

Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1980) | 622 F.2d 157; 1980 U.S. App. LEXIS 15426

3 min read

TL;DR: The court interpreted the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, holding that if any amount of a harmful substance in food is man-made, the entire substance is "added." This subjects the food to the FDA's less stringent "may render injurious" regulatory standard.

Legal Significance: This case establishes a key principle for food regulation: a de minimis human contribution to a naturally occurring toxin renders the entire substance "added" under the FDCA. This significantly broadens the FDA's power to regulate contaminants that have both natural and anthropogenic sources.