On Aug. 3, 1996, the Food Quality Protection Act, unanimously passed by the U.S. Congress, became effective and amended the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, eliminating application of the Delaney proviso to pesticides.

The act mandated a health-based standard for pesticides used in foods, provided special protections for babies and infants, streamlined the approval of safe pesticides, established incentives for the creation of safer pesticides, and required that pesticide registrations remain current.