SOPHISTICATION AND SUBSTITUTION 133 



Coffee-beans are frequently glazed with sugar or egg or dipped 

 into a gummy mixture of the two. It is undoubtedly practised to 

 improve the appearance of inferior grades. It has been claimed by 

 manipulators that the glazing treatment aids in clarifying the infusion 

 and improves the keeping qualities of the beans. Since coffee loses 

 15 to 20 per cent in weight during torrefication, the roasted beans 

 are sometimes steamed, the addition of water adding considerable 

 weight, and then faced with some greasy substance such as fat, palm 

 oil, paraffin, vaseline, waxes, or glycerine, to prevent evaporation. 

 Moore's English Patent 5033 of 1889 describes a coffee-coating of 

 milk or condensed milk, ground or powdered glue, 'liquid glycerine," 

 and refined lard, with the addition of bicarbonate of soda, fine salt, 

 and vinegar. 



Poor imitations of coffee-beans, called coffee-pellets, were formerly 

 common adulterants and are still occasionally sold to retail merchants 

 who add them when they grind the coffee for the purchaser. These 

 pellets are made of various seeds, chicory, roasted wheat mash 

 which has been colored with red ochre, etc. Some pellets are com- 

 posed of roasted ground peas, pea hulls, and cereals, glued together 

 with molasses. As early as 1867, machines appeared on the market 

 which would give the appearance and form of coffee-beans to various 

 plant products. These adulterants consist usually of i to 15% of 

 roasted coffee and 85% chicory, flour, beans, peas, etc. These 

 machine-made products stimulated attempts to defraud the public. 

 The practice flourished in the United States until the passage of 

 the Pure Food Laws which have largely checked this abuse. 



Ground coffee is the form which is subject to the most sophistica- 

 tions. A factitious coal-tar dye, Naphthol Brown, has been used. 

 A surprisingly large number of ground roots, seeds, cereals, and 

 saccharine matters such as caramel, roasted dates, figs, etc., enter into 

 this form of manipulation as will become apparent by a study of my 

 list of adulteration sources. Chicory root is dried, cut into small 

 pieces, and roasted as the basis for most mixtures. Large areas in 

 Belgium and Northern France are devoted to the cultivation of 

 chicory. Chicory is sold in Europe and in the United States as an 

 addition to coffee. Among the poorer classes in those regions it is 

 used as a coffee-substitute but used alone; the infusion is bitter, 

 unpleasant, and possesses an offensive odor. 



