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The development of food law has paralleled the development of our civilization. The ancient Greeks and Romans enacted complicated laws to protect average citizens from potential food hazards. The Middle Ages brought the first official food inspectors to England. Later, exploration of the world opened the markets to exotic foods from far-off continents. The uniqueness of these imports resulted in regulations to prevent adulteration, the act of intentionally debasing the quality of food offered by the admixture or substitution of inferior substances or by the removal of some valuable ingredient. Finally, as 19th-century scientists learned how to use microscopes to analyze foods, modern food law was born.

It can also be said that the development of food law has paralleled the development of some of the biggest food companies in the U.S., many of which are located in Minnesota.

Minnesota has a rich history of both agribusiness and food regulation—the two go hand in hand. So it makes sense that the Minnesota State Dairy Commission was a model forerunner for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was originally created in 1885 for the purpose of prohibiting the sale of adulterated milk. That same year, the first Minnesota law to regulate food and beverages was passed, regulating the sale of oleomargarine. By 1900, the agency’s authority extended to all foods, and in 1907 food standards and labeling rules were adopted for all foods.