5687. Adulteration and misbranding of vinegar. K. S, * * * v. 2? Bar- 
rels and 1<^ Half-barrels of * * * VinegraiF. DefaB.lt decree of 
condemnation, forfeiture, ?d destruction. (K. &, D, Nft. 7725. I. S. 
Nos. 11946-m, 11947-m.    S. No. C-566.)
On September 30, 1916, the United States attorney for the Northern Dis- 
trict of Mississippi, acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, filed 
in the District Court of the United States for said district a libel for the 
seizure and condemnation of 20 barrels and 10 half-barrels of vinegar, re- 
maining unsold in the original unbroken packages at Corinth, Miss., alleging 
that the article had been shipped on July 19, 1916, by the Wallace-McLean 
Vinegar Co., Memphis, Tenn., and transported from the State of Tennessee 
into the State of Mississippi, and charging adulteration and misbranding in 
violation of the Food and Drugs Act. The article was labeled in part: " New 
York Belle Brand Pure Apple Cider Vinegar reduced to 4% acetic strength."
Adulteration of the article was alleged in the libel for the reason that dis- 
tilled vinegar or dilute acetic acid had been mixed and packed therewith 
so as to reduce and lower and injuriously affect its quality and strength, 
and had been substituted in part for apple cider vinegar which the label 
on the article" claimed it to be; and further in that the article was colored 
artificially in a manner whereby inferiority- was concealed.
It was- alleged that the containers of the article were misbraaded. in that, 
instead of containing the product as labeled, they contained a product con- 
sisting in part of distilled vinegar or dilute acetic acid, and further that the 
article was artificially colored in imitation of pure apple cMer vinegar.
It was: farther alleged, in substance, that, instead of the containers having 
labels and tags showing the true composition of the article, such labels and 
tags were false and misleading, and deceiving and misleading to the pur- 
chaser, and that the product was misbranded in that it was in fact an imitation 
of, and offered for sale under the distinctive name of, another article.
On April 3, 1917, no claimant having appeared for the property, judgment of 
condemnation and forfeiture was entered, and it was ordered by the court 
that the product should be destroyed by the United States marshal, and that 
the empty barrels should be sold at public auction and the proceeds of the 
sale applied to the payment of the costs of the proceedings.
O. F. MABVIN, Acting Secretary of Agriculture.