7387. Adulteration and Misbranding of olive oil (so called). TJ. S. * * * 
v. Niclcitas P. Economou and Nicholas Theodos (ST. P. Economou & 
Theodos. Plea of guilty. Fine, $50. (F. & D. No. 10240. I. S. Nos. 
12701-r,  12702-r.)
On July 21, 1919, the United States attorney for the Southern District of 
New York, acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, filed in the 
District Court of the United States for said district an information against 
Nickitas P. Economou and Nicholas Theodos, copartners, trading as N. P. 
Economou & Theodos, New York, N. Y., alleging shipment by said defendants, 
in violation of the Food and Drugs Act, as amended, on September 23, 1918, 
from the State of New York into the State of Connecticut, of a quantity1 of olive 
oil which was adulterated and misbranded. Said article was labeled in part,' 
" Finest Quality Table Oil (picture of olive tree and peasants harvesting olives), 
Tipo Termini Imerese. Cottonseed oil slightly flavored with Olive Oil. Sicilia- 
Italia. 1 Gallon net" and "1 Gallon Net Superfine Oil, S. Giuseppe (picture) 
A compound of Olive Oil and Cottonseed Salad Oil."
Examination of samples of the articles by the Bureau of Chemistry of this 
department showed them to consist of cottonseed oil and also to be short volume.
Adulteration of each article was alleged in the information for the reason 
that a substance, to wit. cottonseed oil, had been mixed and packed therewith 
so as to lower, reduce, and injuriously affect-its quality and strength, and had 
been substituted in part for pure olive oil, which the article purported to be.
Misbranding of one of the articles was alleged for the reason that the 
statements, to wit, "Finest Quality Table Oil," together with the designs and 
devices of an olive tree with natives harvesting olives, not corrected by the 
statement in inconspicuous type, " Cottonseed oil slightly flavored with Olive 
Oil," "Termini Imerese," "Sicilia-Italia," and "1 Gallon Net," borne on the 
cans containing the article, regarding it and the ingredients and substances 
contained therein, were false and misleading in that they represented that the 
article was pure olive oil, that it was a foreign product, to wit, an olive oil pro- 
duced in Sicily, in the kingdom of Italy, and for the further reason that it was 
labeled as aforesaid so as to deceive and mislead the purchaser into the 
belief that it was pure olive oil, that it was a foreign product, to wit, olive oil 
produced in Sicily, in the kingdom of Italy, and that each of said cans contained 
1 gallon net of the article, whereas, in truth and in fact, it was not pure olive 
oil, but was a mixture composed of cottonseed oil, and was not a foreign 
product, to wit, an olive oil produced in Sicily, in the kingdom of Italy, but was 
a domestic product, to wit, a product produced in the United States of America, 
and each of said cans did not contain 1 gallon of the article, but contained a 
less amount, and for the further reason that it was falsely branded as to the 
country in which it was manufactured and produced in that it was a product 
manufactured in whole or in part in the United States of America, and was 
branded as manufactured and produced in Sicily, in the kingdom of Italy, and 
for the further reason that the statements borne on the cans purported that 
the article was a foreign product, whereas, in truth and in fact, it was not, 
but was a domestic product.
Misbranding of the other article was alleged for the reason that the state- 
ments, to wit, "Compound of Olive Oil and Cottonseed Salad Oil" and "1 
Gallon Net," borne on the cans containing the article, regarding it and the 
ingredients and substances contained therein, were false and misleading in that 
they represented that the article was a compound of olive oil and cottonseed 
salad oil, and that each of said cans contained 1 gallon of the article, and for 
the further reason that it was labeled as aforesaid so as to deceive and mislead
the purchaser into the belief that it was a compound of olive oil and cotton- 
seed oil, and that each of said cans contained 1 gallon of the article, whereas, 
in truth and in fact, it was not a compound of olive oil and cottonseed oil, but 
was a product composed essentially of cottonseed oil, and each of said cans did 
not contain 1 gallon of the article, but contained a less.amount.
Misbranding of each article was alleged for the further reason that it was 
food in package form, and the quantity of the contents was not plainly and 
conspicuously marked on the outside of the package.
On July 30, 19l9, the defendants 'entered pleas of guilty to the information, 
and the court imposed a fine of $50.
E. D. BALL, 
Acting Secretary of Agriculture.