The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-08-28
PURE FOOD
LAW VIOLATED.
Interesting Facts Concerning the Roasting
OF Coffee Brought Out by Scientific
Experts-Presence Of Bacteria.

TOLEDO, August 10th--The jury in
Judge Mecks court in this city has
found James White, a local grocer,
guilty of selling adulterated coffee.
The prosecution was based on pack
age of Ariosa coffee.
The State Of Ohio, through the Pure
Food Commission, prosecuted White.
The case was on trial for nearly
month, and attracted national atten-
tion.
The manufacturers Of Ariosa coffee
conducted the Eafense for Grocer
White. At eys of eElinence
were rete' ii to defend him,
but after Snort consultation q verdict
of guilty was returned by the jury.
The State of Ohio considers this big
victory. Pure Food Commissioner
Blackburn has been waging a warfare
on spurious food articles and the de.
partment has been successful.
The complaint Of the State Of Ohio
was that Ariosa coffee was coated with
a substance which concealed defects
in the coffee and made it appear better
than it is. The State charged this coat
ing or glazing was favorable medium
for the propagation of bacteria.
Prof. G. A. Kirchmaier, Of this city,
a well-known chemist, was the prin-
cipal witness for the State. He tes.
titled that he had made scientific e1.
aminations of samples Of Ariosa
purchased from Grocer White in
the open market, and found that
each berry contained an average
Of 300 bacteria. Mr.. Kirchmaier
further testified that other cof.
fees he examined contained few bac.
terra or none at all. He declared that
the glazed coffee was not wholesome
food product.
Chemist Schmidt, of Cincinnati, cor
roborated the testimony Of Prof.
Kirchmaier. The State did not present
further testimony.
The defense secured some OF
the most eminent chemists and
scientists in the United States
to give testimony in their behalf. Prof.
II. W. Wiley, of the United States
Agricultural Department; Prof.
Vaughn, of Ann Arbor University;
Profs. Belle and Webber, Of the Ohio
State University, were called to de-
fend Ariosa. DR.. Wiley made q care.
full examination of the method Of man.
ufacturing. He told Of the 49,
100000 eggs used yearly in the prepar-
alton Of this glazing. On this point,
in cross-examination. the States at
torney deftly drew from him the in
formation that these eggs might be
kept in cold storage for a year or two
at time.
The experts who heard DR.. Wiley's
testimony were pleased to listen
to 30 famous chemist. The
doctor at one point in his testimony
explained very clearly how it is that
the egg put into the coffee pot by
the housewife settles the coffee. He
said that the heat coagulates the egg,
and as it sinks to the bottom of the
Dot it carries the fine particles OF
coffee with it, and thus clarifies the
drink. 1t is the act Of coagulation in
the coffee pot that does the work.
Later on in his cross examination, he
admitted that when the egg was
put on Ariosa coffee at the factory it
became coagulated, and as egg cannot
be coagulated but once, that the coat
ing on coffee was practically no value,
as a Settler" when it reached the
coffee pot. a
Professor Wiley acknowledged that
the glazing might be q favorable
medium for the propagation Of bac-
terra, although he would not testify
positively either way because he was
not bacteriologist.
Professor Vaughn, Of Ann Arbor,
also q witness for the defense, said
he found bacteria on Ariosa coffee.
Professor Belle, another witness for
the defense, testified he found any
number Of lively bacteria on Ariosa
coffee he examined, and agreed that
glazed coffee surely was more favor
able medium for the propagation OF
bacteria than un5lazed coffee.
Pure Food Commissioner Blackburn
says: "The State is. very much elated
over it's victory. We are now consider
ing the advisability of informing every
grocer in the State Of Ohio that 1t is
an infraction of the laws to sell
Ariosa, and at the same time give
warning to consumers that the coffee
is an adulterated food article"
The verdict of the jury in this case
is of national importance because a
great many other States have pure
food laws like that Of Ohio, and 1t
is natural to suppose that similar ac-
ton will be taken by other Pure Food
Commissioners to prevent the sale OF