The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1920-10-15
Chemists Perfect Process Of
Protecting Raw Product From
Mold and Bacteria.
PREY ON SWEETENIMG FACTOR
At Least s1,5oo,ooo Worth Of Sugar
Destroyed Yearly by Tiny, Greedy
orsanisms-7o, 600, 900 Pounds
Is Estimate.

Chicago, nl.-More sugar will be
available for everybody through the
discovery of process Of keeping II
from being injured by molds and bac-
terra.
Fully one per cent of the Cuban
crop, or about 70,000,O00 pounds of
sugar year and worth at least $780,
600, 1t is 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 APP
proximately S1.S4 pounds annually the
amount hitherto consumed by the
$4,000 persons for twelve month
period. This would keep the sugar
bowls of large city fulls Counting
each family, as five persons, 10000 of
such groups could be kept sweet tenn
pared during this period from the
supply which has been waSted by the
Invisible hordes.
Mr.. Nicholas Kopeloff and Mrs. Lii
Ian 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
n.olds consume the sucrose, which Is
les sweetening factor. Although the
amount thus lost may be only frac'
ton Of one per cent, and far too slight
to be detected by the senses Of taste
or smell In many cases, 1t is easily
determined by the polariscope, an in.
strument especially designed for
measuring the amount Of sucrose pres
ent. When sugar deteriorates not
ONLY does the polariscope detect the
differences, but anyone who is suff
ctently observant will note that 1t will
actually take a larger spoonful to give
the same sweetening power. Thus, II
barrel of raw sugar should be KEPT
through the summer months and 4
Is infected with harmful micro-organ
isms, it might be necessary to use an
extra Tablespoonful at the end of the
summer TO get the same sweetenine
power that could be obtained before
deterioration took place. AS all sugar
is sold strictly on the polariscopic ba
SIS, even small losses aggregate huge
sums.
The usual source of these molds Is
the air, which contains millions of mi
cro-organisms at rest and In circula
tion. Each individual mold, IL ii falls
on an object which can supply II will
sufficient food. such as sugar, can re
produce 100000 more individuals OF
the same species In less than a week
This reproduction, however, can only
take place in the presence of sufficient
moisture, otherwise the organisms liz
dormant. Cane sugar primarily un
dergoes such losses by deterioration
in transportation or storage. mainly
due to the absorption of moisture by
sugar in damp weather or humid eli
mates. A-s st
For example, sugars made in Cuba
are stored in the hold. of a vessel
often with insufficient ventilation
which causes them to '.sweat." While
coming from tropical climate into
cooler water. the moisture condenses
on the surface of the sugar. This
also occurs when sugar Is stored fol-
any length Of time, especially at higf
temperature, as in refneries, where
some is melted up at once and the re