7748. Adulteration and misbranding of olive oil, so called. IT. S. * * * v. 
Theodore Economu and Emanuel G. Ritsos (Econoniu-Ritsos Co.). 
Pleas of guilty. Fine, $90. (P. & D. No. 12100. I. S. Nos. 14204-r, 
1420G-r,  14207-r.)
On April 21, 1920, 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 Theodore 
Economu and Emanuel G. Ritsos, trading as Economu-Ritsos Co., New York, 
N. Y., alleging shipment by said defendants, in violation of the Food and Drugs 
Act, as amended, on May 15, 1919, from the State of New York into the State 
of New Jersey, and on May 7, 1919, from the State of New York into the State 
of Connecticut, of quantities of so-called olive oil which was misbranded. The 
article was labeled, " Olio Sopraffino (design) Victory Brand cottonseed salad 
oil flavored with pure olive oil a compound," " Net Contents One Quart" or 
" Net Contents i Gallon " or " Net Contents 1 Gallon," as the case might be, 
" L'olio contenuto in questa latta, raccomandato specialmente per insalata 
mayonnaise e per cucinari impaccato secondo la miglior condizione sanitaria, e 
garentito migliore di tutti. The oil contained in this can is recommended special 
for salads mayonnaise and cooking, packed under the best sanitary conditions 
and guaranteed to give perfect satisfaction. Packed by Economu-Ritsos Co., 
Inc. New York."
Analysis of samples of the article by the Bureau of Chemistry of this-depart- 
ment showed that it consisted chiefly of cottonseed oil and that the cans wer-e 
short volume.
Adulteration of the 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 and reduce and injuriously affect its quality and strength, and 
had been substituted in part for olive oil, which the article purported to be.
Misbranding was alleged in substance in the information for the reason that 
the statements, to wit, " Olio Sopraffino " together with the design and device of 
the Italian flag and olive branches bearing olives, not corrected by the statement 
in inconspicuous type, " Cottonseed salad oil flavored with pure olive oil," and 
" Net Contents 1 Quart" or " Net Contents i Gallon," or " Net Contents 1 Gal- 
lon," as the case might be, 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 olive oil, that it was a foreign 
product, to wit, an olive oil produced in the kingdom of Italy, and that each 
of the cans contained 1 quart net, or f gallon net, or 1 gallon net, as the case 
might be, of the article, and for the further reason that it was labeled as afore- 
said so as to deceive and mislead the purchaser into the belief that said article 
was olive oil, that it was a foreign product, to wit, an olive oil produced in 
the kingdom of Italy, and that each of the cans contained 1 quart net, or i gallon 
net, or 1 gallon net of the article, whereas, in truth and in fact, it was not olive 
oil, but was a mixture composed in large part of cottonseed oil, it was not a 
foreign product, to wit, an article produced in the kingdom of Italy, but was' a 
domestic product, to wit, an article produced in the United States of America, 
and each of said cans did not contain 1 quart net, or J gallon net, or 1 gallon 
net, of the article, as the case might be, but did contain a less amount; for the 
further reason that the statements, designs and devices borne on the cans as 
aforesaid purported said article to be a foreign product when not so; and 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 June 2, 1920, the defendants entered pleas of guilty to the information, and 
the court imposed a fine of $90.
E. D. BALL, Acting Secretary of Agriculture.