Believe it or not, the U.S. food supply is one of the safest in the world. Yet, the CDC still estimates that 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses every year. That costs the economy a staggering $17.6 billion annually.
But before the FDA, food “safety” was a wild west of deadly chemicals, bizarre tests, and literal poison. Let’s take a trip back in time to look at 13 quirky but essential food safety rules from history. They might sound strange, but they were born from very real and very scary problems.
If Your Pickle Doesn’t Bounce, It’s Not a Pickle
This one sounds like a joke, but it has roots in a real food safety case. While there’s no official “bouncing pickle law” on the books in Connecticut, the myth comes from a 1948 incident where two pickle packers were fined for selling pickles that were “unfit for human consumption”.
During the investigation, the state’s Food and Drug Commissioner declared that a good pickle, when dropped from a height of one foot, should bounce. Theirs, which were found to be rotten, just splattered. It was a simple, if quirky, quality control test to keep people from selling subpar produce.
Beware the Dangers of “Swill Milk”
In the mid-1800s, some New York City dairies, often connected to whiskey distilleries, would feed their cows hot, leftover mash, or “swill.” This diet made the cows sick and their milk thin, watery, and bluish.
Sellers would add chalk, plaster, and eggs to thicken it, make the “swill milk” look appealing, and improve its color. The result was a toxic cocktail that was tragically deadly. The public outrage eventually led to some of the first milk regulations in the 1860s.
Keep Embalming Fluid Out of the Milk Jug
Frankly speaking, long before refrigeration became a reality, it was tough to make milk last long. Some of the 19th-century producers resorted to an even more shocking preservative, formaldehyde, sometimes called embalming fluid.
This hazardous practice led to the deaths of countless children from poisoning. Such grotesque contamination was the impetus behind the pressures on the government to provide some oversight, eventually resulting in the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which made the practice illegal.
Your Spices Might Just Be Dirt
Think that spice rack is safe? In the 1800s, you couldn’t be so sure. Spices were expensive, and it was shockingly common for sellers to “extend” their products with cheap, and sometimes inedible, fillers.
Ground pepper might contain charred rope or ground-up shells, while cinnamon was often just brick dust. These practices highlighted the desperate need for truth in labeling.
Join the “Poison Squad” to Test for Safety
How do you prove a food additive is dangerous? One radical idea came in 1902 when Dr. Harvey Wiley, the chief chemist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, proposed a new approach. He took a sample of healthy young men and fed them on foods spiked with preservatives popular at the time, such as borax, salicylic acid, and formaldehyde.
The press nicknamed them the “Poison Squad,” and their story captivated the nation. The illness of these volunteers manifested in headaches and abdominal pains as the people continued to watch, having been given a first-hand view of what was causing them harm in what they eat. It was an inspired but risky moment in public relations that, along with other factors, helped the Pure Food and Drug Act become law.
A Dash of Copper Makes Pickles Greener (and Deadlier)
During the Victorian times, an intensely green pickle was used as a mark of quality. To do this, some cookbooks actually advised cooks to boil their pickles in unlined copper pots, and with copper coins in them.
The vinegar would ignite the copper by acting as an acid to produce an artificial green color on the pickles. Unfortunately, it also gave the diners a dose of copper poisoning. It’s a scary reminder of how easily toxic materials can make their way into our food.
Use Disposable Plates, Ancient-Style
The idea of single-use plates to prevent the spread of germs isn’t new. Ancient India had strict hygiene laws based on both health and philosophy. Cooks would have to bathe themselves before entering the kitchen, and diners had to wash their hands before eating.
Person-to-person contamination was avoided by serving foods in plates made of banana leaves, which are discarded once the food is over. It was an old but environmentally friendly method or solution to an age-old food safety issue.
Always Check the Ox Before You Eat It
How do you know the meat you’re about to eat is safe? The ancient Egyptians had a ritual order where, before an ox was slaughtered for a ritual or a feast, it was carefully examined to make sure it wasn’t sick.
This is one of the earliest known forms of meat inspection. It shows a basic, but crucial, understanding that diseases can be transmitted from animals to humans through food. This principle is the very foundation of the modern meat inspection systems we rely on today.
Don’t Cheat on Bread Weight, or You’ll Be Publicly Humiliated
In medieval England, bread was life. And if you messed with the people’s bread, you were in for a world of hurt. The “Assize of Bread and Ale,” a law from around 1266, was one of the first food regulations in British history. It didn’t control the price, but it did control the weight of a loaf based on the price of grain.
Bakers who placed underweight loaves on the shelves or put some fillers like chalk or crushed up beans were punished very imaginatively. Light crime earned a fine, but repeaters were carted through the streets on a sledge with the sour loaf around their necks. The most feared punishment was the “baker’s baptism”. They were repeatedly dunked into a vat of water or, even worse, manure.
Don’t Harvest Oysters Near the Sewer
In 1924, the deadliest foodborne illness outbreak in U.S. history struck several major cities. The cause was typhoid fever, and the source was traced back to oysters harvested from sewage-polluted waters off Long Island.
Preserve Your Meat in a Tub of Fat
Before refrigerators, the struggle was to preserve meat as long as possible. Among the cleverest solutions was one going back to ancient France, called confit.. Meat, usually duck or pork, is salted and then cooked very slowly in its own rendered fat.
Once cooked, the meat is submerged in the fat, which creates an airtight seal. This barrier protects the meat against bacteria, allowing it to last for months. It is a perfect example of using the natural properties of food to keep it safe.
Your Fancy Pottery Might Be Poisoning You
Through Roman times and the Middle Ages, the wealthy loved their colorful, earthenware pottery. It looked beautiful, but it had a deadly secret.
When acidic foods like wine or juice were stored in these containers, the acid would leach lead from the glaze into the food. This resulted in long-term lead poisoning, which is a grievous health condition that might result in death. It’s a stark reminder that what holds our food is just as important as the food itself.
In Georgia, Eat Fried Chicken With Your Hands
Okay, this one is less about safety and more about quirky local culture. In Gainesville, Georgia, the “Poultry Capital of the World”, there’s a city ordinance. The ordinance makes it illegal to eat fried chicken with a fork and knife.
The law was passed in 1961 as a publicity stunt to promote the city’s poultry industry, but it’s a fun reminder that food rules aren’t always about life and death—sometimes, they’re just about enjoying things the “right” way.
Key Takeaway
From medieval bakers being dunked in manure to government-sponsored “Poison Squads,” the road to modern food safety has been a long and bizarre one. These old regulations may be weird, but they reveal a centuries-old campaign to ensure that our food is safe and truthful. They serve as a powerful reminder of why we have the regulations we do today and why we should never take a safe meal for granted.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
I was in the grocery store the other day, and it hit me—I’m buying the same things I always do, but my bill keeps getting higher. Like, I swear I just blinked, and suddenly eggs are a luxury item. What’s going on?
Inflation, supply-chain delays, and erratic weather conditions have modestly (or, let’s face it, dramatically) pushed the prices of staples ever higher. The USDA reports that food prices climbed an additional 2.9% year over year in May 2025—and that’s after the inflation storm of 2022–2023.
So, if you’ve got room in a pantry, freezer, or even a couple of extra shelves, now might be a good moment to stock up on these staple groceries—before the prices rise later.
How to Save on International Money Transfers: What Banks Don’t Tell You
How to Save on International Money Transfers
Normally, I’d question the secret fees that are hidden in my bank’s international money transfer services. While banks sometimes advertise low transfer fees, they usually do not mention the substantial exchange rate margins that quietly siphon money out of your funds. It shouldn’t be expensive to send money overseas.
I’ve discovered seven practical strategies anyone can use to save on international money transfers. Whether you’re sending a hundred dollars to a family member or paying for a service in a foreign country, these tactics will help you hold onto more of your hard-earned cash.
