The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is
responsible for allowing drugs, cosmetics, and food additives to be sold in the market
according to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for regulating most other chemicals according to the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Toxic Substances Control
Act (TSCA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Safe Drinking Water
Act, and the Clean Air Act. In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed the Food Quality Protection
Act (FQPA) which fundamentally changed the pesticide and food safety laws under FIFRA
and FFDCA requiring stricter safety standards particularly for infants and children, who were
recognized as more susceptible to health effects of pesticides.