The Food, Drug & Cosmetic act has the following definitions:
- "The term "food" means (1) articles used for food or drink for man or other animals, (2) Chewing Gum, and (3) articles used for components of any such article."
- "The term "drug" means (A) articles recognized in the official United States Pharmacopoeia, official Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, or official National Formulary, or any supplement to any of them; and (B) articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals; and (C) articles (other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals; and (D) articles intended for use as a component of any article specified in clause (A), (B), or (C)"
To try for simpler terms:
- if something is normally consumed for everyday nutrition and sustenance, it is food.
- If something is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent disease, it is a drug.
