F. & D. No. 315.
I. S. No. 4983.	
Issued September 2, 1910.
United States Department of Agriculture,
OFFICE   OF  THE  SECRETARY.
NOTICE OF JUDGMENT NO. 530, FOOD AND DRUGS ACT.
ADULTERATION AND MISBRANDING  OF  COFFEE.
On or about January 25, 1908, the Louisiana Molasses Company,?
Limited, a corporation, New Orleans, La., shipped from the State?
of Louisiana to the State of Mississippi a consignment of a food?
product labeled "Gabrielle choice roasted high grade coffee. Im??
ported and roasted by the New Orleans Molasses Co. Ltd., 400-420?
St. Joseph St., New Orleans, La./' and also less conspicuously?
composed of coffee and chicorjr."
Samples from this shipment were procured and analyzed by the?
Bureau of Chemistry, United States Department of Agriculture,?
and as it appeared from the findings of the analyst and report made?
that the product was adulterated and misbranded within the meaning?
of the Food and Drugs Act of June 30, 1906, the Secretary of Agri??
culture afforded the Louisiana Molasses Company, Limited, and the?
party from whom the samples were procured opportunities for hear??
ings. As it appeared after hearings held that the shipment was in?
violation of the act, the Secretary of Agriculture reported the facts?
to the Attorney-General, with a statement of the evidence upon?
which to base a prosecution. In due course a criminal information?
was filed in the Circuit Court of the United States for the Eastern?
District of Louisiana against the said Louisiana Molasses Company,?
Limited, charging the above shipment, and alleging that the prod??
uct shipped as aforesaid was adulterated in that there had been sub??
stituted for the genuine coffee another article, to wit, chicory, and?
in that there had been mixed and packed with the said coffee?
another substance, to wit, chicory, so as to reduce, lower, and in??
juriously affect the quality and strength of the former, and alleging?
that the product was misbranded, in that the labels above set forth,?
and particularly the principal label, being the one first above recited,
55533??No. 530?10
were false and misleading, and were such as to deceive and mislead?
the purchaser into believing that the contents of said packages were?
pure coffee, whereas in truth and in fact the contents were not pure?
coffee, but a mixture of coffee and chicory; in that the said labels,?
and particularly the one first above referred to, were meant and in??
tended and calculated to-convey, and did convey, the impression?
that the said article was pure coffee, which was false, since it was?
a mixture of-coffee and chicory; and in that the product was an imita??
tion of and offered for sale under the distinctive name of another?
article, to wit, pure coffee.
On June 30, 1910, the defendant entered a plea of guilty and the?
court imposed a fine of $10 and costs.
This notice is given pursuant to section 4 of the Food and Drugs?
Act of June 30, 1906.
W. M. HAYS,?
Acting Secretary of Agriculture.
WASHINGTON, D. C, July 29, 1910.
530