The suburban citizen., 1901-08-17
PURE FOOD
LAW VIOLATED.
Interesting Facts Concerning the Roasting
Of Coffee Brought Ont by Scientific
Ex2erts-Presencc of Bacteria.

AoLhDO august lOln-lu jury III
Judge Mecks court in this city has
found James White, a local grocer,
guilty Of selling 0dulterated coffee,
The prosecution was based on a pack
age of ArOsa coffee.
The State Of Ohio, through the Pure
Food Commission. prosecuted White.
The case was on trial for nearly a
month and attracted national atten.
tion.
The manufacturers OF Ar.osa coffee
conducted the defense for Grocer
White. Attorneys OF emnence
were retained to defend him,
but after a short consultation a verdict
of guilty was returned by the jury.
The State of Ohio considers this a 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
substance which concealed defects
in The coffee and made 1t appear better
than 1t is. The State charged this coat
ing or glazing was a favorable medium
for the propagation of bacteria.
Prof. G, A. Kirchmaier, of this city.
a well.known chemist, was the prln-
cipal witness for the State. He tes-
tilted that he had made scientific ex-
aminatlons Of samples Of Ariosa
purchased from Grocer white in
;he open market, and found that
each Jerry contained an average
Of 500 bacteria. Mr.. Kifcbma,or
further testified that other cof-
fees he examined coStHlned few bac-
terra or none at all. He declared that
the glazed coffee was not a wholesome
food produ.g.
Chemist Schmidt, of Cincinnati cor
roborated the testimony Of Prof.
Kirchmaler Tbe State did not present
further Testimony.
The defense secured some OF
the most eminent chemists aud
scientists in the United States
to give testimony in their behalf. Prof
H. w. WiiAy, Of the United States
Agricultural Department.; Prof.
Vaughn, of Ann Arbor University
Profs. Belle snd Weber, Of the Ohio
State University, were called to de.
fend Ar,osa. DR.. Wiley made a care
full examination of the method Of man
ufacturing. He told Of the 10,-
100000 eggs used yearly in the prepar-
alton Of this glazing. On this point. |
In crosscxamlnation. the States at.
torney dsttly drew from him the In
formation that these eggs might be |
sept in cold storage for year or two
at time.
The experts who heard DR.. Wiley's |
testimony were pleased to listen |
to so 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
pot 1t carries the fine particles OK
coffee with it, and thus clarifies the
drink. 1t is the act of coagulalion in
the coffee pot that does the work.
Later on in bis cross examination, lie
admitted that when the egg WAS
put on Arlosa 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 Settler" Wien it reached the
coffee pot.
Professor Wiley acknowledged that
the glazing might be n favorable
medium for the propagation Of bac-
terla, although he would not testify
positively either way because he was
not bacterioloSist.- ~ -ss.as- ssfi''s'',s
Professor Vaughn, Of Ann Arbor
also a witness FOR the defense, said
he found bacteria on Ariosa coffee.
Professor Bleile, another witness for
the defense, testified lie found any
number Of lively bacteria on Ariosa
coffee he examined, and agreed that
glazed coffee surely was a more favor
able medium for the propagation Of
bacteria than unJla3ed coffee.
Pure Food Commissioner Blackburn
says: "The State is very much elated
over its victory. We are now consider.
ing the adysubility of informing every
grocer in the State OF Ohio that 1t is
an infraction of tie laws TO sell
Arosa, and at the same time give
to consumers that the coffee
Is an adulterated food article"
Tho 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 it
Is natural to suppose that similar Gc-
lion will be taken by other Pure Food
to prevent the sale Of
glazed coffees.