The novel is in part responsible for the passage of the revolutionary Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, and thus the establishment of the modern-day Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. Its impact is in no small part due to the direct and powerful prose Sinclair employs: the horrors of commercial meat production are presented in full and glistening detail, and the tragedies and misfortunes of the Rudkus family are direct and relatable even today.
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