Year: 1877

TEA AND COFFEE.


How They nre Adulternted nnd How to Dis.


cover the Delcterious Substances.


A writer i'll the New York EUentng
Post describes the manner in which tea
and coffee are often adulterated, and
what he says will be read with interest
in every household where these articles
are found on the table. The writer says:


The sophistications practiced upon tea
are large in number and often harmful
in character. The greater part of the
adulteration occurs in China, but the
English and Americans appear to have
become skillful imitators of the Chinese
in at least some branches of this nefari-
Gus industry. Mineral and organic sub
stances are used to increase the weight
and bulk of the tea; fictitious strength is
impaired to it by the addition of certain
vegetable substances and pigments are
employed in order to produce desire
able color. Appropriation rejoicing in the
very appropriate name of ellie ten, was
formerly and is doubtless still used rs an
admixture with genuine tea, particularly
with gunpowder. "Lie tea" consists
of the dust of tea and other leaves, which
is mixed with various mineral substances
and agglutinated into little masses by
means of starch or gum; it is then treat
ed with mineral pigments. But the ope-
ration which is most generally carried on
is the artificial "facing" or coloring of
teas. This practice is almost entirely
confined to green teas, of which, it is
said on high authority, but few grades
reach the consumer in a pure state.
Green tea differs from black only in it's
method of manufacture, and unless arti-
fcially colored it should not present the
decided bluish-green appearance so often
noticed, but should possess pale olive
color. Green tea is also converted into
black by chemical treatment; in fact,
these metamorphoses have given rise to
q special a1d regular branch of business,
notably in this city and Philadelphia.
The pigments most uSed for coloring
green teas are Prussian blue, indigo,
turmeric and china clay; the peculiar
glossy appearance they frequently pre-
sent being produced by means of black
lead, tale and soapstone. Other and far
more dangerous substances, such as
arsenide of copper, chromate of lead and
Dutch pink, are said to be sometimes
employed. When hot water is poured
upon O faced tea, the coloring matter
present often becomes detached and
either rises to the top or sinks to the
bottom of the liquid, forming sediment
which can be readily recognized az a
foreign body, especially by aid of a mag
nifying glass. In many instances this
test will he sufficient. but the safer plan
is always to avoid the use of tens posses
sing metallic luster and bright green
color.


Coffee is very extensively adulterated.
When sold in the ground state it almost
invariably consists of mixture contain
ing little or no coffee and great deal of
chicory and roasted grains, such MS peas,
beans, rye and wheat. The addition of
chicory is frequently defended on the
ground that it improves the taste and
quality of the coffee, but owing to its
comparative cheapness three is a great
temptation to use an undue quantity of
this substance, and unless the amount of
the addition is specified on the packages
(as is required in several European coun-
tries), it undoubtedly constitutes a true
adulteration; moreover, chicory itself is
very often mixed with foreign subtances.
Professor Sharples has recently exam
ined several varieties of package coffee,
including the "first quality Mocha and
Java coffee" an extra quality French
Coffee" q French breakfast coffee" an
"English breakfast Coffee" and "pure
roasted and ground Cape coffee" but
was not able to detect the presence of the
veritable bean in any of these prepara-
tions. A very popular and, in compari-
son with the above, superior brand of
prepared Java coffee" received by the
writer for analysis, had the following
composition Coffee, thirty-seven per
centum; peas, tifty-two per centum; rye,
two per centum; chicory, eight per
centum. A simple method for detecting
some of these substances consists in
slightly stirring the suspected sample
with cold water and observing the color
of the liquid and the gravity Of the pow
der. Pure coffee will remain floating
upon the surface of the water for some
time, and fails to impart perceptible
color to it, whereas chicory and beans
Especially the former) at once sink to
the bottom and color the liquid decided
ly. Other substances which also rise to
the surface of the water can be easily
distinguished from coffee by their ap-
pearance and taste. Another simple test
is to spread the coffee out on slip of
glass, slightly molsten it with water,
and then touch the layer in different
parts with the point of needle; in this
way the presence of soft non-resisting
foreign ingredients can be readily de-
tected. If on opening the package the
contents are caked, or show tendency
to cake, the presence of chicory is indi-
no{o1