Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel The Jungle, set in the meatpacking plants of early 20th-century Chicago, was intended to provoke a strong public reaction. The book, based on Sinclair’s own experience working incognito at a meatpacking plant, tells of the horrific working conditions in the meat industry. The stories of contaminated or diseased meat were intended to incite outrage at the system of worker exploitation that led to these issues; however, the response of both the public and the government focused on food safety. Less than a year after publication of The Jungle, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act, which eventually led to the creation of the modern Food and Drug Administration. Sinclair himself was not pleased with what he saw as a misinterpretation of his work; he famously said, “I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach.”

The reaction to The Jungle is hardly the first time that concerns over food safety and purity have won out over more compassionate objectives. In 1516, Bavaria (then part of the Holy Roman Empire) passed the Reinheitsgebot, a law mandating, among other things, that the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were barley, hops, and water. Although Reinheitsgebot literally translates to “purity order,” the main impetus behind the law was not to protect the purity of beer but rather to prevent competition between bakers and brewers for the purchase of grains. By ensuring that wheat and rye would be available only for bakers, the Bavarian government hoped to keep bread affordable for everyone. Many modern breweries, however, tout that their beers conform to the Reinheitsgebot in an attempt to convince consumers of the quality and purity of their beer, completely ignoring the original empathetic intent of the law. Perhaps the public’s stomach is, in fact, more sensitive than its heart.

1. With which of the following statements about the Pure Food and Drug Act would the author of the passage likely agree?

A. It did not do enough to ensure the safety of America’s food supplies, given the state of the meatpacking industry.
B. It was a misguided response to the transgressions of the meatpacking industry exposed in The Jungle.
C. Congress enacted the law to limit competition for resources, although its effect was to improve food quality.
D. The act was likely to increase the price of food by imposing regulations on the meatpacking industry.
E. It was intended to fix problems that were not highlighted in The Jungle.


2. Which of the following is true of the effects of the Reinheitsgebot, according to the passage?

A It led to the production of higher-quality beer.
B. It influenced how beer was made throughout the Holy Roman Empire.
C. It resulted in lower bread prices.
D. Laws that use it as precedent are still in effect today.
E. Some advertisements for beer refer to its requirements.