The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of intense concern about food safety, leading to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and the Meat Inspection Act. Muckraking journalists and writers, including Upton Sinclair, played a key role in exposing the dangers of adulterated food and galvanizing public support for regulation.

The Progressive Era produced some of the most influential food safety literature in American history, including Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. The muckraking tradition inspired subsequent generations of writers and poets, who continued to explore the politics of food and the need for consumer protection. The era also saw the rise of food writing as a distinct literary genre.