25193. Misbranding of olive  oil.     TJ.  S. v. Dominic Tavano and George Renos
(Italian Olive Oil Co.).     Pleas of guilty.     Defendants fined $25 each.
(F. & D. no. 35878.    Sample no. 20729-B.)
This case was based on an interstate shipment of a product consisting 
essentially of domestic cottonseed oil, which was represented on the label to 
be olive oil produced in Italy.
On October 7, 1935, the United States attorney for the Western District of 
New York, acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, filed in the 
district court an information against Dominie Tavano and George Renos, 
copartners, trading as the Italian Olive Oil Co., Jamestown, N. Y., charging 
shipment by said defendants, in violation of the Food and Drugs Act, on or 
about October 1,1934, from the State of New York into the State of Pennsylvania 
of a quantity of olive oil which was misbranded. The article was labeled in 
part: "La Vergine Brand Finest Quality Oil [design of olive tree bearing fruit] 
Lucca Qualita Extra Fina Insuperabile per Tavola, Cucina Etc. Extra Fine 
Quality Oil Insuperable for Table, Cooking Etc."
The article was alleged to be misbranded in that the statement, "Finest 
Quality Oil Lucca", together with the design of an olive tree, borne on the 
label on the cans, was false and misleading, and in that by reason of said 
statement and design the article was labeled so as to deceive and mislead the 
purchaser, since they represented that the article was olive oil produced in 
Lucca in Italy; whereas, in fact, the article was not olive oil and was not 
produced in Italy, but was composed essentially of cottonseed oil and was 
produced in the United States.
On November 22, 1935, the defendants entered pleas of guilty and the court 
imposed a fine of $25 on each.
W. R. GREGG, Acting Secretary of Agriculture.