7680. Adulteration and misbranding of pepper. IT. S. * * * TV The 
Woolson Spice Co., a corporation. Plea of nolo contendere. Fine, 
$200 and costs. (F. & D. No. 7334. I. S. Nos. 4634-k, 11191-k, 11766-k, 
11767-k, 11770-k, 11771-k, 11774-k, 14146-k, 14148-k, 14,289-k, 14549-k, 
14725-k, 14726-k,14732-k,14733-k, 14734-k, 14737-k, 14738-k.)
On September 9, 1916, the United States attorney for the Northern District of 
Ohio, 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 Woolson 
Spice Co., a corporation, Toledo, Ohio, alleging shipment on or about March 
10, 1915, February 19, 1915, February 27, 1915, March 29, 1915, March 15, 
1915, February 11, 1915, April 12, 1915, February 23, 1915, March 2, 
1915, March 14, 1915, March 3, 1915, April 1, 1915, April 3, 1915, and February 
25, 1915, by the said company, in violation of the Food and Drugs Act, from 
the State of Ohio into the States of Indiana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota, 
Tennessee, Illinois, and Iowa, of quantities of articles, labeled in part " Atlas 
Pepper," " Paradise Farm Brand Pepper," " Granulated Black Pepper," " Kick- 
busch K Spices," " Banner Brand Pepper," " Powers Strictly Pure Pepper,"' 
"Hermitage Pepper," "Comar Brand Spices," -" Golden Rod Brand Pepper," 
and " Acme Pepper," which were adulterated and misbranded.
Analyses of samples of the articles by the Bureau of Chemistry of this de- 
partment showed that they contained added pepper shells.
Adulteration of the article in each shipment was alleged in the information 
for the reason that a substance, to wit, pepper shells, had been mixed and 
packed with the article so as to lower or reduce and injuriously affect its 
quality and strength, and was adulterated further in that a substance, to wit, 
pepper shells, had been substituted in part for pepper, which it purported 
to be.
Misbranding of the article in each shipment was alleged for the reason that 
the statement, " Pepper," borne on the label of the package containing the 
article, regarding it and the ingredients and substances contained therein, was 
false and misleading in that it represented that the article consisted exclusively 
of pepper, whereas, in truth and in fact, the article did n'ot consist exclusively 
of pepper, but did consist of pepper and added pepper shells; said article was 
further misbranded in that it was labeled " Pepper " so as to deceive and mis- 
lead the purchaser into the belief that it was pure pepper containing no more 
shells than are normally present in pepper, whereas, in truth and in fact, it was 
not pure pepper containing a normal and natural proportion of pepper shells, 
but was a mixture of pepper and added pepper shells.
The defendant demurred to the information, and on October 22, 1920, on 
leave of the court, withdrew the demurrer and entered a plea of nolo contendere 
to the information, and the court imposed a fine of $200 and costs.
C. F. MAEVIN, Acting Secretary of Agriculture.