Adulteration of Coffee Act 1718 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Citation | 5 Geo. 1. c. 11 |
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| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Statute Law Revision Act 1958 |
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Status: Repealed
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| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An act for the more effectual prevention of the manufacturing ash, elder, floe, and other leaves, in imitation of tea, and to prevent frauds in the revenue of excise with respect to tea. |
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| Citation | 17 Geo. 3. c. 29 |
The Adulteration of Coffee Act 1718 was an important law passed in Great Britain a long time ago. Its main goal was to stop people from cheating when selling coffee by adding bad or fake ingredients to it. This act made it illegal to "debase" coffee, which means to lower its quality or value.
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Why Was This Law Needed?
This law was created in 1718 because some dishonest people were mixing other things into coffee. They would add things like water, grease, or butter after roasting the coffee beans. This made the coffee heavier and sometimes unhealthy.
What Were the Problems?
Adding these extra ingredients caused several problems:
- Health Risks: The coffee became "unwholesome," meaning it was unhealthy or unsafe to drink.
- Cheating the Government: It hurt "His Majesty's Revenue." This means the government was losing money from taxes because people were selling less real coffee.
- Unfair Business: It was unfair to "fair and honest dealers" who sold pure coffee. They were losing money because dishonest sellers could offer cheaper, lower-quality coffee.
What Was the Penalty?
If someone was caught breaking this law, they faced a penalty of about GB£20 (equivalent to about £2,800 in 2021). This was a significant amount of money back then!
From Coffee to Tea
Later on, tea became more popular than coffee in Great Britain. Because of this, a similar law was introduced in 1776 called the Adulteration of Tea Act 1776. This act aimed to stop people from making fake tea using leaves from other plants like ash or elder.
When Did the Law End?
The Adulteration of Coffee Act 1718 was eventually cancelled, or "repealed," much later by the Statute Law Revision Act 1958. This means it was no longer an active law.
