--- product_id: 130996216 title: "The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century" price: "VT5990" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 12 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/130996216-the-poison-squad-one-chemists-single-minded-crusade-for-food store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century **Price:** VT5990 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century - **How much does it cost?** VT5990 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/130996216-the-poison-squad-one-chemists-single-minded-crusade-for-food) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century: 9780143111122: Blum, Deborah: Books Review: interesting & depressing - I have a tendency to romanticize history. This book disabused me if that notion. Food manufacturers in the US used FORMALDEHYDE as a preservative. As early as 1910 manufacturers were trying out corn syrup and saccharine because they were cheaper than sugar. The more things change, the more they stay the same I guess. It’s depressing that we are still fighting for food safety against the almighty dollar. This book is well written and researched. The author does a fantastic job of making all these historical figures come alive on the page. Truly an excellent read. Review: Great Book! - Very well written- it was also very informative! Scary, how unsafe our food used to be- but today's food, with all the untested additives, is unsafe as well, but instead of being immediately deadly like arsenic in candy (as the book discusses), additives today are a lot more insidious, causing 'sleeper diseases' like heart disease, cancer, diabetes...but there is hope! Once, the American people fought the big manufacturers and won. We can do it again! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #159,298 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #17 in Agriculture & Food Policy (Books) #93 in Social Activist Biographies #163 in Culinary Biographies & Memoirs | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (733) | | Dimensions | 8.43 x 5.51 x 0.79 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | ISBN-10 | 0143111124 | | ISBN-13 | 978-0143111122 | | Item Weight | 11.2 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 352 pages | | Publication date | September 24, 2019 | | Publisher | Penguin Books | ## Images ![The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91KwEoAw3hL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ interesting & depressing *by C***S on March 26, 2024* I have a tendency to romanticize history. This book disabused me if that notion. Food manufacturers in the US used FORMALDEHYDE as a preservative. As early as 1910 manufacturers were trying out corn syrup and saccharine because they were cheaper than sugar. The more things change, the more they stay the same I guess. It’s depressing that we are still fighting for food safety against the almighty dollar. This book is well written and researched. The author does a fantastic job of making all these historical figures come alive on the page. Truly an excellent read. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Book! *by C***R on August 31, 2024* Very well written- it was also very informative! Scary, how unsafe our food used to be- but today's food, with all the untested additives, is unsafe as well, but instead of being immediately deadly like arsenic in candy (as the book discusses), additives today are a lot more insidious, causing 'sleeper diseases' like heart disease, cancer, diabetes...but there is hope! Once, the American people fought the big manufacturers and won. We can do it again! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The dangers of completely unfettered greed! *by D***F on December 27, 2020* “The Poison Squad” by Deborah Blum is the well-told story of the first American attempts to protect consumers from dangerous food manufacturing practices at the beginning of the twentieth century. It follows Harvey Washington Wiley, an MD and chemist in his single-minded quest. If you ever read the novel "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair about the brutal working conditions in the Chicago Stockyards of the same time period, this book will fill in a lot more of that picture. Food manufacturing on an industrial scale was in its infancy and corporate greed was unrestrained for a portion of the industry. American consumers were at their mercy and regulatory protection was sorely needed. But as is always the case, money ruled and the fight to protect ordinary people was a very tough and long battle. Sound familiar? This book is well-timed in my opinion. This is a good nonfiction tale, 4 to 4.5 stars. Author Deborah Blum is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. This appears to be her first book, she's a very good writer. I’ll be watching for her next one. I recommend “The Poison Squad”. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/130996216-the-poison-squad-one-chemists-single-minded-crusade-for-food](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/130996216-the-poison-squad-one-chemists-single-minded-crusade-for-food) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-05*