Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-08-08
BACTERIA IN COFFEE.
Ohio Grocer Convicted of Violatine.
the Pure Food Laws of
the State.

Judge Meck's court in this city has
found James White, local grocer,
guilty of selling adulterated coffee.
The prosecution was based on a
package of Arbuckles' Ariosa coffee.
The State of Ohio, through the
Pure Food Commission, prosecuted
White. The case was on trial for
nearly month and attracted nation
el attention.
The manufacturers of Ariosa coffee
conducted the defense for Grocer
White. The best attorneys in the
country were retained to defend him.
but, after a short consultation, YER
dict of guilty was returned by the
jury. The State of Ohio considers
this big victory. Pure Food Com
missioner Blackburn has been wag-
ing warfare on spurious food arti-
cles and the department has been,
very successful.
The complaint of the State of Ohio.
was that Ariosa coffee was coated
with q substance which concealed de-
fects in the coffee and made it ap-
pear better than it is. The State
charged that this coating 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 had
made scientific examinations of SAM
pies of Ariosa purchased in the open,
market from Grocer White. He
found that each Ariosa berry con-
-, oF ~
Mr.. Kirchmaier further testified that
other coffees he examined contained
few bacteria or none at all. He de-
clared that the glazed coffee was not
a wholesome food product.
Chemist Schmidt, of Cincinnati,
corroborated the testimony of Prof.
Kirchmaier. The State did not pre-
sent further testimony.
The defense, through the Ar
buckles, who prepare this glazed cof-
fec, secured some of the most emf
nent chemists and scientists in the
United States to give testimony in
their behalf. Prof. H. w. Wiley, of
the United States Agricultural De-
partment; Prof. Vaughn, of Ann Ar"
Dor University; Profs. Belle and
Webber, of the Ohio State University
were called to defend Ariosa. DR..
Wiley had made a careful examina-
tion of the method of manufacturing
Arosa. He told of the 100000
eggs used by the Arbuckles yearly
in the preparation of this glazing.
On this point in cross examination.
the States attorneys deftly drew
l., g. Go
eggs might be kept in cold storage
by the Arbucl1les for year or two,
at a time.
The experts who heard DR.. Wiley's
testimony were pleased to be able
to "catch" so famous a 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 it carries the fine particles
of the coffee with it, and thus clari-
fes the drink. 1t is the act of
coagulation in the coffee pot that
does the work. Later on in his cross
examination, he had to admit that
when the egg was put on Ariosa cof-
fee at the factory, it became coagu--
lated, and as egg cannot be coagu--
lated but once, that the coating on
coffee was of practically no value as
settler" when it reached the cof-
fee pot.
Prof. Wiley acknowledged that the
glazing might be a favorable medium
60 1,A rf han a1
though he would not testify positive
ly either way because he was not
bacteriologist.
Prof. Vaughn, of Ann Arbor Uni-
versity, also a witness for the Ar
buckles, said he found bacteria on
Ariosa coffee.
Prof. Bleile, another witness for
the defense, found any number Of
lively bacteria on the Ariosa coffee
he examined, and he agreed that.
glazed coffee surely was more
favorable medium for the propaga-
tion of bacteria than unglazed cof-
fee.
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 it
is natural to suppose that similar ac-
tion will be taken by other Pure
Food Commissioners to prevent the
sale of glazed coffees.
Pure Food Commissioner Black
burn says: "The State is very much
elated over its victory against this
big corporation. We are now con-
sidering the advisability of inform
ing every grocer in the State of Ohio
that it 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"
DiscOmfiting Comment.