6169. Misbranding of cottonseed meal.   U.S.   *   *   *   v. Ralston Purina Co., a corporation,?
Plea of guilty.   Fine, S10 and costs.   (F. & D. No, 8255,   I, S, No. 19645-m.)
On July 9, 1917, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri,?
acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agriculture, filed in the District Court of?
the United States for said district an information against the Ralston Purina Co., a?
corporation, St. Louis, Mo., alleging shipment by said company, in violation of the?
Food and Drugs Act, on or about August 24, 1916, from the State of Missouri into the?
State of Indiana, of a quantity of an article labeled in part, "Winner Prime Cotton?
Seed Meal," which was misbranded.
Analysis of a sample of the article by the Bureau of Chemistry of this department?
showed the following results:
Protein (Nx6.25) (per cent)?
    36. 7
Crude fiber (per cent)?
    13.2
The results of analysis show that the product contains less protein?
and more fiber than is declared upon the guarantee tag.
Misbranding of the article was alleged in the information for the reason that the?
statement concerning the article and the ingredients and substances contained therein,?
to wit, "not less than 38.6? of crude protein, not more than 12.0? of crude fiber,"?
was false and misleading in that it represented to purchasers that the article contained?
not less than 38.6 per cent of crude protein and not more than 12 per cent of crude?
fiber; and for the further reason that it was labeled as aforesaid so as to deceive and?
mislead purchasers into the belief that it contained not less than 38.6 per cent of?
crude protein and not more than 12 per cent of crude fiber, whereas, in truth and in?
fact, it contained less than 38.6 per .cent of crude protein and more than 12 per cent?
of crude fiber.
On February 9, 1918, the defendant company entered a plea of guilty to the infor??
mation
, and the court imposed a fine of $10 and costs.
CARL VROOMAN,?
Acting Secretary of Agriculture.
198	
BUREAU   OF  CHEMISTRY.	
[Supplement 54.