South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-13
MAKE PROBE OF
FATALITIES DUE
TO RIPE OLIVES
Department of Agriculture Is
sues Statement Concern
ing Them.
BY LOUIS LUDLOW.


WASHINGTON, y. C.. June ~
Tho department OF agriculture has
just completed an exhaustive in
vestigation Of the fatalities attribut-
ed 10 olives that have occurred dur
ing the last year and which attract
I'd a great deal OK attention through
out the country.
The death Of g. q. Waybrecht, "A
distinguished officer Of the late war.
and several others after eating olives
al a dinner in Ohio first brought
10 the attention OF the department
OF agriculture he advfsa biltty Of
turning the government scientists
loose in an investigation 10 discover
the sources of this mysterious poi
son and the representatives., If any.
Since that time there have been four
other deaths traced 10 the poison
The fatalities occurred in New York
city. Detroit Memphis, Tenn, and
Kalispell. Mont.
The department announces its
conclusions as follows.
All OF these cases were due 70
the assumption or ripe olives. No
fatalities have been traced 10 green
olives.
VERY extensive Investigations
have been made by scientists from
the bureau OF chemistry, with the
cooperation OF the packers. and the
packers themselves have also en-
ployed specialists 70 study the caus-
- OF botuliaus poisoning and the
precaution which should be en-
plyed to prevent further difficulty.
The experts agree that the trouble
is not inherent in the type Of con
hr oil a
packed IN glass Jars or in tin cans
the may be rendered absolutely safe
II proper precautions are taken 10
prevent the infection with bacteria
during handling and IL the packages
when filled are sterslized at a SUI
ficient temperature and for SUI
ficient period OF time"
Lack OF PreCautiOn-
The department holds a lack of
Irecaution responsible for the TRACE
dies that have occurred.
Unfortunately" 10 says, some
packs OF ripe olives put up in glass,
as well as some in tin, during past
seasons were not prepared with all
the precautions now kncwn TO be
essential and were not sterilized at
a sufficiently high temperature and
some OF these goods in glass were
responsible for the fatalities. IL Is
probable that of all the ripe olives
on the market but an extremely
small number actually contained
bascilius botUllnus. OF more than
2. 900 individual packages collected
and exanained in the bureau OF
chemistry but eight were found to
pontazn bacillus botulinuss and seven
Of these were from thesOutput of
one manufactures and from one
batch OF hissDutput. In addition TO
these eight; the bureau has ex-
hmtned samples OF some of the
olives responsible. for the fatalities
and has also found bacillus botulin-
rs IN these specimens.
The department. announces that
t5haaafaken elaborate precautions
Oipreventsany such fatalities in the
Eutures
b,GSince9 there is a possibility, - 1t
kays-@o6sdanBer from any riIe olive
which, has, been insufficiently steri-
lied. the bureau OF chemistry has
uuREest ed 40 the industry that all
ripe olives in glass or tin, wherever
heated, be carefully Inspected and
that any which show the slightest
segree OF decomposition be destroy
ad. It has further suggested that
aHsr1pe4olives which have not beer
process at "a Sufnciently nlBn tenn
perature be returned 10 the pack
ers for immediate reprocessing at
sufficient temperature 10 insure
complete sterilization. With few
exceptions the olive packers have
most heartily fallen in with all sug
Eestions mrse in the interest OF the
public safety and by mutual agree
ment entered into by practically al
Of the packers they are now taking
steps to Withdraw from the marke
all ripe olives in glass container:
which have not been sterilized a
g sufficient temperature.
Similar steps are being taken 10y
some of the packers in the case OF
minced olive relishes, in view OF th'
fact that one death due 10 the con
FUmption Of such a product has beer
reported. While concerted actor
10 remove ripe olives packed in Tn
and processed at a low temperature
has not been taken by the pack
crs. the fact that spOilage in tin hal
so consistently resulted in making
n swell out OF the can constitute
q warning 20 the purchase that Il
rot often disreEarded- There is NJ
reason 10 anticipate danger from
properly packed and processed rip'
olives. whether they be packed II
tin or glass containers