The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1920-09-24
Chemists Perfect Process Of
Protecting Raw Product From
Mold and Bacteria.
PREY on SWEETHnne FACTOR
At Least sitsoo.ooo Worth Of Sugar
Destroyed Yearly BY Tiny, Greedy
oroanisms-7o. ooo. 900 Pounds
10 Estimate.

Chicago. nl-More sugar will be
available for everybody through the
discovery u Q process Of keeping II
from being injured by molds and bac
terra.
Fully one per cent Of the Cuban
crop. or about 7O.00O.O0O pounds of
sugar year and worth at least 81. $780,
600, It liz estimated. has been destroyed
by the tiny. greedy organisms which
compete with the sweet tooth Of man.
kind. As the per capita consumption
Of sugar In the United States Is ap-
proximately 81.84 pounds annually the
amount hitherto consumed by the
673,OOO persons for q twelve month
period. This would keep the sugar
bowls Of large city full. Counting
each family as five persons. 175.OOO Of
such groups could be kept sweet tenn
pered during this period from the
supply which has been wasted by the
invisible hordes.
Mr.. Nicholas KOpeloff and Mrs. Lii
liam KOpeloff. bacteriOlogist and as
sistant bacteriologist at the Louisiana
sugar experiment station In New Or
leans, and members Of the American
Chemical society. have just completed
bulletin ON the method Of prevent
ing the mOlds and bacteria from wrest-
Ing sweet solace Of the beet and cane
from mOrtals.
Loses Sweetness.
Sugar loses its sweetness because
molds consume the sucrOse. which Il
its sweetening factor. Although the
amount thus lost may be only q frac
tlOn Of one per cent. and far too slight
to be detected by the senses of taste
or smell In many cases, 1t Is essily
determined by the polariscope. an In
strument especially designed fol
measuring the amount Of sucrose pres
ent. When sugar deteriorates mo-
only does the polariscope detect tn,
differences. but anyone who il SUN
GENTLY 0bservant will note that 1t will
actually take larger spoonful to Civ
the same sweetening power. Thus, 1
barrel of raw sugar should be KEEP
through the summer months and
IL infected with harmful micro-organ
isms, It might be necessary to use a
extra tablespoonful at the end Of tn
summer to get the same sweeteninl
power that could be obtained befOr,
deterioration took place. As all suga
II sold strictly on the polariscoplc ba
els, even small losses aggregate hug
sums.
The usual source Of these molds I
the air. which contains millions Of mi
crO-Organisms at rest and In circula
ton. Each individual mold, II 1t fall
on an object which can supply 1t wit
sufficient food, such as sugar. can re
produce 100000 more individuals O
the same species in less than a weel
This reproduction, however. can onl
take place in the presence of sufficlen
moisture, otherwise the organisms II
dormant. Cane sugar primarily VI
dergoes such losses by deterioratio
In transportation or storage, mainl
due to the absorption Of moisture b
sugar In damp weather or humid CT
mates.
For example, sugars made in Cub
are stored in the hold Of a vesse
often with insufficient ventilation
which causes them to "sweat." Viii
coming from tropical climate I'M
cooler water the moisture condenst
on the surface OF the sugar. Tn
also occurs when sugar Is stored I,
any length Of time. especially at hie
temperature. as in refineries, whel
some Is melted up at once and the r