The novel vividly depicted the unsanitary and inhumane conditions in Chicago's meatpacking plants, exposing:
* Unsanitary practices: Meat contaminated with disease, rodents, and filth was common.
* Dangerous working conditions: Workers were often injured or killed in accidents, and faced long hours and low wages.
* Exploitation of workers: Children, immigrants, and the poor were often exploited by the industry.
Sinclair's book sparked public outrage and led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, which established federal oversight of the meatpacking industry and food safety standards.