4 INTRODUCTION. 



while making a high-grade article, they could not compete with infe- 

 rior goods which were sold under the labels of first-class olive oil, and 

 had decided to discontinue its manufacture. They stated that they 

 employed no cotton-seed oil or other substitute at any time. Dealers 

 whose names appeared on the labels as importers or manufacturers' 

 agent > were also notified. 



For the lack of a better term, a number of salad oils are referred to 

 in this bulletin as "olive oil substitutes." Tly this it is not intended 

 to class them as inferior in any sense, or to disparage their legitimate 

 use or their sale when labeled in such a way as to notify the purchaser 

 of their nature. They are included in this bulletin, however, merely 

 because, being cheaper oils, they are sometimes fraudulently substi- 

 tuted for olive oil and sold either at a price above their relative value, 

 or at a price which brings olive oil into unfair competition. Such 

 practices are fraudulent, and it is highly important for those engaged 

 in the manufacture of olive oil. which has become an important indus- 

 try in California, that they be forbidden. 



Two Federal laws were passed by the last Congress which have a 

 bearing on this subject. One of these (Public -- -Xo. *2"2X) forbids the 

 misbranding or false labeling of food products as to the place of their 

 manufacture. The other (Public No. 158) prohibits the importation 

 into the Tinted States of foods which are " found to be dangerous to 

 health, or which are forbidden to be sold or restricted in sale in coun- 

 tries in which they are made or from which they are exported, or 

 \ liich shall be falsely labeled in any respect in regard to the place of 

 manufacture or the contents of the package." 



With these laws on the statute books it becomes important that pur- 

 chasers should /arefully read the labels on their purchases and note 

 that the name of the manufacturer and the place of manufacture are 

 distinctly stated. It is altogether probable that in the future oils dis- 

 tinctly labeled will be found to be as represented, as ordinarily fraudu- 

 lent manufacturers will attempt to evade the law by omitting the place 

 of manufacture rather than violate the law by making a false state- 

 ment regarding it. As an illustration of this a label is reproduced 

 (PI. 1, fig. 1) which was found on a bottle of mai/e oil purchased as 

 olive oil. This label does not distinctly state that the bottle contains 

 olive oil. but it is worded in such a way that it is only upon clo>e 

 examination that the purchaser will note the fact that the oil is repre- 

 sentcd not a- " superior olive oil." but as -'superior to any olive oil." 



Among other instances of misbranded oil are a number which hear 

 French or Italian label- and contain cotton-seed oil. As illustrations 

 of this two label- are reproduced (PI. I. lig. '2. and PI. II. fig. -J) which 

 are believed to have originated in this country." The prevalence of the 

 sale of cotton-seed oil under labels of this nature has led to frequent 



