Fermented Coffee

The Cautionary Tale Of Cultured Coffee

Coffee fermentation is frequently celebrated as a creative innovation by artisan members of the industry. However, it's important to note that many of these innovations are not entirely new to the scientific community, raising the question of why they weren't embraced sooner. This brings us to the story of the first American patent related to coffee fermentation.

This article aims to summarize the narratives found in the supporting materials provided below. However, I strongly encourage readers to delve into the complete articles themselves, as a summary can only offer a glimpse of the full richness of the story. Exploring these resources will give you a deeper understanding of how fermented coffees were marketed and communicated in the coffee industry at the beginning of the 20th century.

In the early 20th century, a scientist named Mr. Floyd W. Robison from Detroit set out to explore how the introduction of modern motorized ships was affecting the quality of Javan coffees. He found that the unique flavour profile of Javan coffee was linked to the microorganisms that thrived on the traditional sailboats used for transporting the coffee to America. The warm, humid environment in the ship’s hold created the perfect conditions for these microorganisms, allowing them to flourish during the journey. As a result, they not only added their distinctive 'Java' flavour to the coffee but also enhanced its strength.

"That green coffee improves with age, is a tenet generally accepted by the trade. Shipments long in transit, subjected to the effects of tropical heat under closely battened hatches in poorly ventilated holds, have developed into much-prized yellow matured coffee. Were it not for the large capital required and the attendant prohibitive carrying charges, many roasters would permit their coffees to age more thoroughly before roasting."

Aging Green Coffee in

October 1920 issue of

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

signed author Trigg

This discovery indicated that coffee inoculated with these microbes could exhibit the highly desired Java character. Realizing the industrial potential of this process and the strong market demand for Javan coffee, the scientist recognized the commercial significance of his findings. Consequently, he obtained a patent for the process in 1919 (patent 1,313,209). This patent encompassed, "the culturing of coffee using any group of microorganisms," and was granted in 22 countries, including all the leading coffee-producing nations.

While still working at a contract lab, Robison uncovered the connection between fermentation and coffee quality, which led to a lawsuit from his former employer. In the world of science, when you work for a company, any discoveries you make typically belong to them. This means that you cannot simply take those ideas and start your own business, since the company has already compensated you for them. Although the specific details of the court case remain unclear, Robison ultimately triumphed, paving the way for the establishment of the Floyd W. Robison Company.

This situation is worth highlighting as it is an ongoing issue in the coffee industry today, where similar conflicts often arise as innovators navigate the complex relationship between their discoveries and the ownership rights that companies have over their intellectual property.

Before the patent was granted, the Floyd W. Robison Company had already scaled the process to commercial production levels, allowing for the treatment of hundreds of bags of green coffee beans in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. This industrialization resulted in a consistent product, thanks to a carefully controlled fermentation process.

Picture kindly supplied by Kaffeemacher

When comparing Robison's facilities to modern fermentation facilities at origin, it's worth considering which one resembles something that would have existed 100 years ago.

Robison's rapid implementation and industrialization of a coffee quality-enhancing fermentation process were just part of his contributions; he also introduced a fresh approach to marketing. For several years, Robison had been a passionate advocate for the role of science in the coffee industry, effectively highlighting that the main challenge was not the scientific advancements themselves, but rather the misinformation propagated by pseudoscientists and deceptive marketing. His proactive approach was met with enthusiasm at the Coffee Roasters Convention in 1916, where one board member enthusiastically remarked, “After hearing Dr. Robison’s presentation, I take back my earlier statement that I didn’t see how scientists could generate profits for us instead of losses.”

This encouragement motivated Robison to launch his product in the green coffee market not through traditional advertising, but by explaining the scientific principles and reasoning behind his invention. He did this through a series of ads, which you can find in the supporting documents below. This distinctive approach likely piqued readers' interest, provided valuable education, and built trust within the community for the implementation of this novel process. Additionally, it showed that, even by modern standards, Robison grasped the essential concepts of the underlying science and purposefully applied them in his process.

Not long after introducing what he referred to as "cultured coffee" to the green coffee market, a new company called the Pan American Coffee Company was established. This company licensed the technology from Floyd W. Robison Company and took over the production and distribution of the product. They marketed the green coffee under the brand name "Robico," which clearly honours the inventing scientist's name.

By October 1921, three plants were successfully producing cultured coffee, boasting a weekly capacity of 2,000 bags. Plans were underway to open three more locations, including on the East and West Coasts of the U.S. in San Francisco and Boston. Consumers could begin to find this roasted coffee in their local grocery stores under the brand name Anza.

Cultured coffee experienced remarkable success, so what happened to it? Why isn't it still available on store shelves today? According to my research, media advertisements began to decline in the latter half of the 1920s, which is puzzling, especially since the business seemed to be gaining traction.

It turns out that one of the microbes being cultivated for its desirable fermented flavour was Aspergillus ochraceus. The name of this microbe probably holds just as much significance for reader today as it did for Mr. Robison back then. Unfortunately, while the coffee industry has largely overlooked Mr. Robison's business and scientific accomplishments as well as the lesson he learned the hard way, it has not forgotten about this microbe. This microbe has become rather infamous within the industry.

This infamy start in 1965, Nature published a letter titled "Ochratoxin A, a Toxic Metabolite Produced by Aspergillus ochraceus Wilh." This significant publication marked the start of research into Ochratoxin A, which has since become known as an important mycotoxin. Its heat stability allows it to survive much of the roasting process, raising important health concerns. Ochratoxin A has been linked to various health issues, including potential carcinogenic effects and damage to the kidneys (nephrotoxicity). Interestingly, while Mr. Robison was cultivating Aspergillus ochraceus with the aim of improving coffee quality, this same mold ultimately became associated with grain spoilage, including coffee, particularly when stored under inadequate conditions.

Some might contend that the publication of this article is merely coincidental in explaining why cultivated coffee has faded from prominence. It’s true that Mr. Robison's use of Aspergillus ochraceus does not necessarily imply he worked with the specific strain that produces Ochratoxin A, as different strains can yield various amounts of mycotoxins. This reasoning holds merit. However, it is noteworthy that the letter directly references Mr. Robison’s patent: “In the United States, Patent No. 1,313,209 covers the use of Asp. ochraceus for its ability to induce a desirable change in flavour during the fermentation of coffee” (van der Merwe et al., 1965). Given that the following paragraph discusses relatively high mortality rates in several animal studies, the link between Mr. Robison’s patent and the discovery of Ochratoxin A seems more than coincidental.

While I haven't found any evidence to suggest that Anza coffee consumers or employees had become ill, any reported signs of sickness would certainly warrant taking immediate action, such as halting product promotion, pulling items from store shelves, and ceasing production. It's important to note that companies often face significant challenges in recovering from incidents where their products lead to serious harm or fatalities. Additionally, it would be crucial to investigate the root cause of any reported symptoms among both workers and consumers, as this could have led to the discovery of Ochratoxin A as a toxin in the 1960s.

If people at the time were unaware that the negative health effects stemmed from a toxin contaminating the coffee, rather than the coffee itself, it would be easy to see why they might associate those health issues with the product. This misunderstanding could lend some support to the arguments of those who at the time oppose coffee for its health risks. Fortunately, we now know that coffee itself is innocent of this accusation.

Aspergillus ochraceus Wilh. was not the only microbe responsible for the production of Ochratoxin A in Robison's patented process. Other fungi, such as Aspergillus ostianus, also played a role. The literature suggests that several other microbes associated with the 'Rio' flavor defect in coffee, including Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus candidus, were used as well. Additionally, Aspergillus niger, known today for its role in citric acid production, and Aspergillus oryzae, often referred to as Koji, were included in the process at the time. There were also various species of Penicillium and Fusarium included, which may or may not produce mycotoxins.

The narrative of the first successful industrialization of fermentation in the coffee industry offers an important lesson about the potential pitfalls of well-intentioned yet ambitious innovation. While these advancements can lead to remarkable improvements in quality, they can also bring unexpected challenges, as Robison discovered during his cultured coffee journey.

Subject matter experts usually have a good understanding of known risks and take measures to minimize them. However, in this case, it seems that both the experts and society as a whole may have been unaware of mycotoxins. This lack of awareness could be attributed to the technology available at the time, which may not have been advanced enough to facilitate the discovery of mycotoxins.

Ultimately, this story underscores the necessity of balancing ambition, creativity and knowledge with a sense of responsibility and ethical consideration. Innovators should strive to understand the implications of their discoveries, ensuring they contribute positively to society while safeguarding their rights and the well-being of consumers.

For those looking to prevent Ochratoxin A contamination, the FAO has a dedicated website specifically for coffee resources:

https://www.fao.org/food/food-safety-quality/a-z-index/coffee/en/

as well as guidance documents for the coffee industry:

https://www.fao.org/input/download/standards/11250/CXP_069e.pdf

SUPPORTING MATERIAL:

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal:

Archival Articles (1919-1924)

As well as links to the original patent and Nature Letter

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Tea and Coffee Trade Journal for granting me permission to repost articles from their archives. The dates listed correspond to the original issues of the journal. While the articles remain true to the original content, they have been reformatted into text for enhanced legibility.

September 1919

Article: A New Coffee Aging Process

Treating Green Coffee with Micro-Organisms To Improve the Flavor and Increase the Extractive Values

A PROCESS for treating green coffee with micro-organisms to enhance the cup quality has been patented by Floyd W. Robison, and assigned by him to the Floyd W. Robison Company, of Detroit. The patent was published on August 12, and is numbered 1,313,209.

In talking about the process, B. H. Calkin, of the Floyd W. Robison Company, said to a representative of this paper that the discovery has long passed the experimental stage and thousands of pounds of coffee are being daily treated and sold under the patented process by some of the most conservative coffee roasters in the United States. Mr. Calkins said that at the time of the interview six large concerns were operating the Robison patent under license from the company.

In a prepared statement handed out by Mr. Calkin it is said:

“It is generally known that certain coffees have a higher commercial value than others owing to the fact that they possess a more developed character, an instance of which is that Java coffees have always commanded larger premiums than other coffees. A general assumption is that the difference in character of coffees has been due to the different growing conditions, but this scientific discovery establishes that such differences are due to the action of micro-organisms.

“The scientific world is well aware of the fact that certain enzym[e]s possess the quality of converting useless substances into simpler and soluble substances capable of diffusion. For example, there are enzym[e]s that split up albumens, other enzym[e]s that split up sugars, others that split up fats, and still others that split up cellulose, and still others that split up acids. The foregoing scientific data afford the basis of the discovery made by the company that coffee is rendered a more desirabe product.”

The Robison process is described in detail in the specification of letters patent. In his description Mr. Robison says he inoculates green coffee with living micro-organisms so as to produce a coffee which will be found to possess certain improved characteristics when roasted. He prepares a culture by growing micro-organisms, particularly that class known as molds, and then brings the coffee beans in contact with the culture for inoculation and incubation of enzym[e]s. The period of incubation lasts for seven days, when the growth of the organisms is arrested, either by immediate roasting or by drying.

‘‘I recognize the fact,” says Mr. Robison, “that micro-organisms may and do exist in a more or less dormant condition in practically all green coffee, but the conditions surrounding such coffee may not be or are not favorable to the development of such micro-organisms. Therefore it is a part of this invention that such coffee shall be brought into a condition which will effectuate the propagation of such micro-organisms on the coffee. Accordingly in coffees of this class I have found it necessary to soften the coffee by moistening the same so as to render active the micro-organisms, and to establish the desired temperature suitable for the incubation of the micro-organisms.”

The treatment is carried on in a special room or chamber through which the air is not permitted to circulate freely, and where the temperature can be maintained at from 25 to 30

degrees centigrade. First the coffee is softened by spraying or moistening with clean water, or by gently treating with live steam. The beans swell and become soft and are in suitable condition for the growth of the micro-organisms, and to enable the enzyms produced by the organisms to penetrate the beans.

Thus prepared, the culture of organisms is sprayed, sprinkled or otherwise brought in contact with the coffee. The coffee is then piled in heaps or spread out to the depth of a foot and closely covered to exclude currents of air and preserve the desirable incubation conditions.

After two or three days the coffee is thoroughly remixed and again covered and left undisturbed for another three or four days. At the end of the seven days of incubation the coffee is covered with an active growth of micro-organisms.

Further growth is arrested by immediately roasting the coffee, or by spreading it out' thinly and drying it, and subsequently roasting it.

Mr. Robison claims in his patent that : “Coffee produced as herein described is superior to such coffee before treatment from the standpoint of flavor, aroma, keeping qualities after being ground or brewed, or both, and general drinking properties. Likewise coffee produced as herein described is superior to the coffee before treatment in that it contains a decidedly increased quantity of soluble constituents, thereby maternally increasing the body of the resulting beverage.”

Mr. Calkin claims that the process adds only about 34 of a cent per pound to the cost of the coffee, but enables a person to get approximately 15 per cent more extractive Value in the cup.

The treatment makes the bean slightly larger, darker in color and easy to grind.

The cultures with which the beans are inoculated are prepared and sold by the Floyd W. Robison Company to coffee roasters operating the patent under license. Mr. Calkin says the patent has been granted in twenty foreign countries and is fully protected.

September 1919

Patent Announcement

Process of Treating Coffee

Floyd W. Robison, assignor to the Floyd W. Robison Company, Detroit. (1,313,209.) In the art of treating coffee, the process which consists in moistening coffee to soften the same, propagating molds on the softened coffee, and subsequently drying the treated coffee to arrest further development of the mold.

September 1919

Patent: Process of Treating Coffee

December 1st 1919

Cultured Coffee Bulletin #1

Mr. W.H. Ukers,

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

79 Vail Street, New York.

Dear Mr. Ukers,

As you know a process for treating Green Coffee has lately been perfected whereby Micro-Organisms play a very important and beneficial role. This Cultural Process is not an aging process nor a ripening process, but a process wherein Enzymes, superinduced through the activity of Micro-Organisms, actually produce certain definite and desirable changes in the Coffee, which after roasting is reflected in enhanced body, flavor and general drinking qualities. These changes are positive, unmistakable and to a scientist entirely to be expected when one understands just what is being done.

I propose through this medium to explain month by month all about "Cultured Coffee" The series will be numbered so if your readers will preserve these by numbers, at the close of the year quite a comprehensive understanding of this whole Cultural Process will be reached.

It is entirely safe to say that the word "Cultured" as applied to Coffee will soon be a word well and favorably known to Coffee men and we expect to prove to them, if any further proof is necessary, that we believe in Coffee and stand ready to do our full share to give the American Public the best cup of coffee that can be produced.

I beg to remain

Very truly yours.

Floyd W. Robison.

December 31st 1919

Bulletin #2

Mr. W. H. Ukers ,

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal,

79 Wall Street, New York.

Dear Mr. Ukers ,

Micro-organisms play a very important part in the nutrition of Man and animals .

Enzymes, superinduced through the life activity of Micro-organisms or through other regular channels in nature, play a decidedly necessary part in nutrition. That this is necessarily so we may readily understand when we meditate on how impossible it is that Man could be nourished at all were it not for the Enzymes that digest food in the stomach or that function in the intestines of Man.

In a similar way, the Enzymes that produce ripeness in fruits and that catalyze the changes which go on in fruits, etc by which an apple, for example, becomes edible and other fruits change from their acid tartness to the mellow agreeable forms, are as indispensable.

Whether we recognize it or not we are constantly acknowledging by our sense of preferment the great value of this Micro-organic Activity in food products .

The job of the Scientist is to capitalize this natural activity of Micro-organisms and Enzymes by controlling their actions and by providing the conditions that permit them to function in a definite direction and devoid of the obstacles with which in nature they are constantly beset.

I beg to remain

Very truly yours ,

Floyd W. Robison.

January 29th 1920

Bulletin #3

Mr. W. H. Ukers ,

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal,

79 Wall Street, New York.

Dear Mr. Ukers,

Flavor and Body are the two prime essentials in a cup of Coffee, flavor because the Coffee must have an agreeable aroma and taste: body because without this the flavor is empty. An agreeably flavored and full bodied Coffee possesses the qualities that consumers most greatly desire. Each of these characters depends primarily and essentially upon certain specific or combined properties in the Green Coffee. Practically all of the properties which Green Coffee possesses exert their modifying influences upon Flavor and Body in the beverage.

It is because of these facts that Microoganisms play such an important role. Green Coffee is host to a very great variety of Microoganisms, all of which during their life activities have exerted certain more or less pronounced influences upon the Coffee. These influences are always present to a greater or less degree. In those cases wherein these influences have been (accidentally) well directed, we have been paying a premium for a superior flavored, rich full palatable cup of coffee. This is the Coffee expert smacks his lips over and the Coffee that because a steady repeater when put upon the market.

Where these influences have not been (accidentally) well directed however, off-flavored, inferior types of Coffee is the result.

The deduction is obvious that the very highest type of Coffee may be obtained by taking a Green Coffee in which the activity of Microorganisms have been slight or along well balanced lines (naturally) and permitting a certain definite strain of Microorganisms to develop and function thereon under uniform, carefully controlled conditions. The actual result of this is the production of a full bodied, highly and agreeably flavored Coffee: a positively good uniform product: the substituion of certainty for chance.

I beg to remain

Very truly yours ,

Floyd W. Robison .

February 29th 1920

Bulletin #4

Mr. V. H. Ukers,

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal,

79 Wall Street, New York.

Dear Mr. Ukers,

It may seem strange to those who are unaquainted with the way in which Microorganisms grow and develop that we should attach any merit to this activity. It is strange but in fact no more so than the growth and development of any plant. Microorganisms in point of fact really are minute plants and derive their nourishment exactly as do other plants. To grow a good crop of wheat it is necessary to first prepare the soil and then plant in that soil pure wheat seed. If the soil is not well prepared or if the seed is impure, weeds will thrive and if sufficient in numbers completely choke out the wheat.

So with Microorganisms: - we must first prepare the Coffee so that few or no undesirable organisms (weeds) are present and then plant on that coffee a pure culture of the kind of Microorganisms we wish to propagate. In this way the results we desire are attained. Green Coffee is like an uncultivated field. It is pregnant with possibilities good or bad. As an uncultivated field however usually grows up to weeds, so with Coffee. It either remains in a mediocre state or developes undesirable flavors and aromas from the exceedingly miscellaneous type of organisms present. In this way it lacks stability of character and uniformity.

If this same mediocre Coffee is cultivated, and cultured with Microorganisms of a desirable type, not only do we get as a result thereof a high grade of agreeably flavored, full bodied Coffee, but and by no means least, an absolutely uniform product.

It means much to the Coffee Roaster to feel sure that he has within his own control this question of uniformity.

I beg to remain

Very truly yours,

Floyd W. Robison.

March 26th 1920

Bulletin #5

Mr. W. H. Ukers,

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal,

79 Wall Street. New York.

Dear Mr. Ukers,

It has not been difficult to get Coffee men to realize why Cultured Coffee possesses such a remarkable flavor. Flavor and Aroma are the direct result of the activity of Enzymes and Micro-Organisms. This holds true with Coffee the same as with other natural products; and what is more natural or logical than to suppose that where we have a pure Culture of Micro-Organisms and a controlled activity, we must of necessity get the cleanest, richest, most desirable flavor and aroma.

It is not so easy to explain why we get such remarkable uniformity in the product. I have long sought for an explanation of the very decided differences that occur in Coffees of the same general character. It was not until my discovery of the effect of a pure culture of Micro Organism upon the Coffee that I began to understand why these Coffees as they come into the Country are so decidedly lacking in uniformity. Coffees with all kinds of organisms at work on them under a great variety of conditions of moisture, temperature, etc., cannot help being exceedingly miscellaneous and greatly wanting in uniformity. The treating of such Coffees with a pure Culture under the right kind of conditions must of necessity bring them all up to a uniform high grade. This is exactly what takes place.

Beside the remarkable effect of greatly enhanced flavor and aroma, the startling but true result of the Cultural process is the development of almost exact uniformity of Product.

I beg to remain

Very truly yours,

Floyd W. Robison.

April 30th 1920

Bulletin #6

Mr. W. H. Ukers,

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal,

79 Wall Street. New York.

Dear Mr. Ukers,

In my letters to you I have tried to show why Cultured Coffee must of necessity develop the remarkable flavor and aroma that it does develop, why it should cause such an increase in the body of the drink when carried to its logical end point, and also why, through its remarkable uniformity, it should tend greatly to stabilize Coffee. Really this discovery of the possibilities of a Culture of Micro-Organisms upon Green Coffee is but the opening door to what will probably become a tremendous field of research and achievement in the next few years.

I realize, however, that no matter how interesting such a process may be scientifically, that the real tests of its value is its application to industry. Accordingly i have asked the Pan American Coffee Company, with its' plant at 417 West Ohio Street, Chicago, to write a series of letters giving, from a practical Coffee man's point of view, the valuable features of this process.

The Pan American Coffee Company is operating this process and culturing Green Coffee on quite an extensive scale, putting the product upon the market, and is in a position to give in detail the real merits of this cultural process as applied to its business.

I beg to remain

Very truly yours,

Floyd W. Robison.

May 27th 1920

Pan American Coffee Company Collaboration Announcement

Pan American Coffee Company,

417 Jest Ohio Street, Chicago, Illinois.

Gentlemen:

I have your letter of Kay 10th asking if you are justified in claiming that Cultured Coffee will show a Java Character as well as an enhanced body.

In answer, I wish to call your attention to my articles in the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal which explain why you may expect a distinctive character and an enhanced body in Cultured Coffee.

The action of the enzymes, produced by the Micro-organisms in the culture supplied to you, gradually converts the insoluble constituents of the Coffee into soluble, and you can readily see that the result must be enhanced body. Your cup tests will naturally show a Java character as the Micro-Organisms we use are always found in high grade Old Crop Javas, and their activity produces the same results in nature as you get by duplicating nature's work in your Plant. You have the advantage of being able to select just such Micro-Organisms as produce, desired results and of leaving out all undesirable ones, and there are very many of these, which explains way nature's product lacks the uniformity found in your Cultured Coffee.

Yours very truly,

FLOYD W. ROBISON COMPANY.

Floyd Robison President.

TO COFFEE ROASTERS

If you are interested in the full character of a Java for blending purposes, and will agree to carefully compare our Coffee with a good grade of Java, we will be pleased to send you a good sized sample on application.

If you like our product you can depend on its uniformity and can be assured of getting it at a reasonable price.

PAN AMERICAN COFFEE COMPANY

417 West Ohio Street

Chicago, Illinois

July 1920

Article: Aging Coffee By Inoculation

Robico Brand Announced

Describing the Process and Equipment Used by a New Company Formed to Develop the Business Commercially

LAST August Floyd W. Robison announced a process for treating green coffee with micro-organisms to enhance the cup qualities and increase the extractive values. Since then Mr. Robison and his associates have been developing the commercial features of the proposition, and a short time ago completed this work with the formation of the Pan-American Coffee Company at Chicago.

The new company is a Michigan corporation and operates under a license from The Floyd W. Robison Company of Detroit. Its business is the treatment of green coffee by the Robison cultural process, and selling it in the regular channels of trade. The culture plant and sales office is located at No. 417 West Ohio street, Chicago. The executive office is located at present at No. 919 Dime Bank Building, Detroit. The company plans to install, eventually, culture plants and warehouses at New York, New Orleans and San Francisco.

The process consists in the main as follows: Coffees of more or less neutral character are inoculated with a culture of living micro-organisms from a coffee originally of a very distinctive character. These inoculated coffees are then allowed to incubate under carefully controlled conditions for a certain period of time as a result of which treatment, the coffee treated develops a very distinct character. The claim is made that a vast improvement is had in flavor, aroma, body and their general drinking characteristics. The green coffee is emptied into a large wire basket which is then taken by a conveyor to a tank full of running water in which it is completely immersed. This is for the purpose of cleaning the coffee, thus washing off the bulk of micro-organisms present. The basket of coffee is next conveyed to a second tank of water, in which the culture is suspended. It is completely immersed in this so that each individual coffee bean comes in contact intimately with the culture.

This washing and culturing process is accomplished in a few moments . The coffee is next emptied into a receiving bin from which it is conveyed by gravity to the floor below, where it is emptied into shallow wooden trays which hold approximately one bag (132 pounds) each. These trays of coffee are stacked one above the other on a hydraulic truck in tiers of ten, and are conveyed to the culture room.

The culture rooms hold from 100 to 200 bags of coffee. They are built like an ordinary incubator, but of course, on a larger scale, made absolutely air-tight so that moisture and temperature conditions can be very accurately controlled by an automatic device.

The coffee during the first one to three days is gradually brought to a soft pliable condition, and a slight cultural growth of micro-organisms is noticeable even in this stage.

The trays are brought from the culture room and emptied into a hopper, from which it is bucketed into the receiving bin on the floor above. This procedure brings about a thorough mixing of the coffee and intimately distributes the culture throughout the entire mass. From this bin the trays are again refilled and returned to the culture room under the cultural condition above mentioned for a period of two to three days longer, during which time a very active growth of micro-organisms from the culture takes place. The total result is accomplished in about one week, when the ventilating apparatus in the room is opened and the coffee is rapidly dried to its original condition.

After showing a representative of this paper through the Chicago processing plant, B. H. Calkins, manager of the company, said that the Pan-American Coffee Company will produce the cultured coffee under the trade name of "Robico," and that it is the intention to make it standard for a coffee of very high character.

July-October 1920

Pan-American Coffee Company Ads

October 1921

Article: Cultured Coffee Activities

New Factory Operating in Brooklyn and Others Planned — How the Coffee Is Treated

The Cultured Coffee Co. of America has established a new factory at Store 35, Bush Terminal, Brooklyn, where it is working to its capacity of 600 bags a week. Other plants are operating in Chicago, St. Paul and Detroit with a total capacity, including that of Brooklyn, of 2,000 bags a week. It is planned to have other factories at New Orleans, San Francisco, and Boston.

The headquarters and executive offices are at Detroit, with the research work under the direct supervision of Parke, Davis & Co. The Brooklyn activities are in charge of H. C. Gamble and E. G. Beeson, who have been succeeded in the Chicago plant by J. A. Heberling, formerly sales manager for the Wagstaff Coffee Co. of Detroit.

An exhaustive investigation of the process of culturing coffee was made by a recognized authority in bacteriology recently, who issued the following report:

Ripening on the Ocean

“For a great many years the coffee dealers and coffee roasters of this country have known that the high grade of Java coffee was due to a certain ‘ripening’ process that the green coffee underwent in being transported from Java to this country in slow sailing vessels. It was well known that the same original grade of Java coffee brought here by fast steam vessels arrived in a condition that was materially different from that coming in the slow vessel.

“This change was so well known that masters of sailing vessels used in the coffee trade were paid a premium for coffee that had heated and had undergone this ‘ripening’ process, which was necessary to produce the highest-grade Java coffee. This ‘ripening’ took place in the hold of the vessel while passing through the tropics, where humidity is great and the temperature hot.

What Caused the Change

“A few years ago. Emmet G. Beeson, in discussing this problem with Floyd W. Robison of Detroit, mentioned to him the change that took place, and suggested that it ought to be possible to determine scientifically what did actually take place. As a result of this, Mr. Robison and Mr. Beeson investigated this subject quite thoroughly, and found that the coffee underwent a distinct molding process under the factors of high humidity and high temperature, due to its long trip through tropical seas.

“They thereupon secured some high-grade Java and carefully isolated the microorganism found thereon. As a result of this, a set of cultural experiments was undertaken to determine the effect of the various molds found upon the raw Java coffee. This resulted in the discovery that certain types of mold, particularly Ochraceus and Aspergillus wintii, when growing upon green Java coffee for about 10 days, produced a change identical with that in the sailing-vessel transportation.

Organizing to Manufacture

“The final result was the organization of the Pan-American Coffee Co. [now the Cultured Coffee Co.] by Mr. Robison, Mr. Beeson, and a few others. At first they planned to place on the market a cultured coffee and sell it under a trade name. Later this was found to be impracticable, and the company decided to act simply as cultural agents in treating green Brazilian Santos to produce the Javalike character so much desired by coffee roasters. They are now engaged in processing coffee under contract for various coffee houses, and charge only 2 1/2 cents a pound.

“At the time of the organization of the Pan-American Coffee Co. Mr. Robison secured a patent upon the culturing of coffee by microorganisms. This patent has been pronounced basic by a number of patent attorneys and is thought to cover the culturing of coffee by any group of microorganisms. Patents were also secured in 22 foreign countries, covering all of those where coffee is produced.

How Coffee Is Cultured

“The process in use consists of a spiral conveyor, which is built at an angle of about 30 degrees and carries a continuous volume of coffee through about four lineal feet of spray area, where the coffee is washed by a powerful spray of water.

“It is then continued along the conveyor to a section where a cultured solution, consisting of a culture mixed with water, is pumped over it and allowed to drain free. The coffee is then elevated into a hopper, from which trays are filled and placed in the incubating room. These culture trays consist of a shallow box about six inches deep, 2 1/2 feet wide, and five feet long. The construction of this tray is 1 1/2-inch slats, having small spaces between to allow for ventilation. The wet cultured coffee is run into these trays and leveled to about the depth of the tray.

“Stacks of trays, approximately six feet in height, are then placed in an isolated culture roorn. which will hold approximately 200 trays. This room is equipped with heating and ventilating facilities so arranged as to give careful temperature control and also maintain uniform humidity. The air is at first constantly pumped from various sections of the room and back into a pipe running along the floor at the sides. This gives uniform distribution of moisture and temperature. When the rooms are filled at first, they are maintained at about 90° Fah. with a humidity of only about five degrees less, for about two days.

“At the end of this time a sufficient heat has been generated by the fermenting coffee grains so that additional heat is turned off and culture allowed to grow for four or five days, or longer.

“About the end of the third day there appears over the surface of the coffee berries a fine white growth. This is the hyphae of the mold which are growing into the berry. On the fourth day the fruiting heads appear and give the trays a yellowish brown appearance.

“The coffee is then dumped from trays into bins having a capacity of 100 bags. Here the enzyme secreted from the mold growth continues to function, causing the mass of coffee to heat, gradually increasing in temperature till it reaches its peak. When the temperature starts to recede it signifies completion of the internal activity. The moisture content of the coffee itself gradually falls throughout this 10-day period, and when taken from the bins it has only slightly more moisture than when originally received at the plant. The coffee is then put through a tumbling and scouring process and sacked for return to the coffee roaster.

Results of the Treatment

“The coffee most usually cultured is Brazilian Santos, which when treated by this method gives a coffee having very fine blending qualities.

“It can be seen, therefore, that a very material economic saving is effected by the use of cultured Santos in preference to ship-‘ripened’ Java, in making the commercial blends that the coffee roasters desire for their various brands. The change that takes place in the coffee berry causes the coffee to change color from a slaty green to a light tan or yellow in exterior appearance, and to become more brittle and softer in the coffee in physical condition.

“The method by which coffee men judge the quality of the coffee is known as the cup test, which consists in making an infusion of the desired kind of coffee and testing this infusion without sugar or cream. It is in this cup test that this cultured coffee shows the most remarkable change from the coffee before cultured. The natural Santos produces a thin acid coffee, while the cultured product gives a cup that is thick and mellow in flavor and of a more pleasing aromatic character.

Protecting the Consumer

“Since there might arise some question of fraudulent substitution of cultured coffee for genuine ship-‘ripened’ Java, the Cultured Coffee Co. has made distinct provision in its contracts for culturing, to the effect that, should the coffee roaster attempt to use a cultured coffee in place of original Java, and as a result defraud the buyer, the Cultured Coffee Co. would refuse to culture further shipments for him. Every attempt is being made to place the cultured coffee on its own merits and not to confuse it with Java coffee as it is ordinarily sold.

“Java coffee has always brought a much higher price than any other variety on the market. This was due to the very desirable smooth flavor of the ship-‘ripened’ Java. The ‘ripening,’ by holding on a slow sailing vessel for a comparatively long time, gave an unstandardized and variable grade of coffee.

“By the method of culturing as produced by the Cultured Coffee Co., a green Java or a Brazilian Santos can be transformed in 10 days from a characteristic high-grade rough coffee to a smooth, creamy Javalike coffee. This method produces a much more uniform product and one having a more desirable flavor.”

November 1921

Lawsuit

DETROIT LABORATORY BRINGS SUIT

The Detroit Testing Laboratory brought suit for an accounting against Floyd W. Robison and others, alleging that when they were in its employ they discovered new methods for improving coffee, later organizing the Cultured Coffee Co. for the development of the discovery, and that Robison has benefited to the extent of $50,000. The suit was tried in the Circuit Court at Detroit and was decided in Mr. Robison’s favor on November 18, 1921.

February 1922

Article: New Cultured Coffee Claims

Anza Brand Announced

Anza Brand Now on the Market to Lure Those Who Believe That Coffee Keeps Them Awake—National Distribution Started

“STARTLING new knowledge which food scientists have recently learned about coffee shows that the unpleasant after-effects experienced by the occasional person who cannot drink coffee are due almost entirely to free acids in coffee not wholly ripened.

“Much of the coffee sold in the market is only partially ripened. It is no more ready for human consumption than partially ripened fruit would be. Even coffee that is fully matured—and very little coffee sold today reaches that point—still contains an excess of acids to bother sensitive nerves and stomachs.

“This new culture-ripening process removes this excess of free acids, so that those exceptional people who have had to forego the pleasure of coffee with their meals now find they can drink this new culture-ripened coffee without the old, unpleasant after-effects. They tell us they can drink this new coffee late at night, and go right- to bed and sleep soundly.”

The foregoing, in addition to the more familiar one that the culture process gives ordinary coffees the flavor of real Java, comprises the chief claims made by the Cultured Coffee Co. of America in its nation-wide campaign to put its coffee on the market. It is known as Anza coffee, and is being initially distributed by several large wholesale grocers and coffee distributers of the Middle West. It is sold in one-pound tin cans, either in bean or steel cut, bearing uniform labels the phrase, “Licensed by the Cultured Coffee Company of America,” and the imprint of the distributers. The retail price is 50c. a pound.

Among the concerns already handling it are the Western Grocer Co. of Marshalltown, Ia., the Clark & Host Co. of Milwaukee, Bell, Conrad & Co. of Chicago, and Oakford & Fahnestock of Peoria. In every case the advertising and merchandising plans are controlled by the Cultured Coffee Co. Distribution began from the company’s western headquarters on Jan. 16.

There is no licensed Anza distributer from New York as yet; though James R. Buchanan, a retailer in the western subway passage of Grand Central Terminal, is handling it for the local consuming demand.

A striking advertising campaign is under way in the Middle West, almost entirely in newspapers. The opening ads consisted of full pages. Magazine advertising will be taken up later.

Besides this the Cultured people are pursuing a letter and circular campaign among doctors, announcing:

“It is no longer necessary to advise your patients to use the unsatisfactory, flat-tasting, insipid coffee substitutes to avoid the evil effects of green, sour, unripe coffee, for this new coffee has been thoroughly ripened and made sweet, palatable, and wholesome through the culture-ripening process.

“We have used this coffee with great success in many, many cases where persons have heretofore been unable to drink coffee because of unpleasant after-effects, such as sleeplessness, etc., and believe that we have the absolute answer to that condition. It will not keep you awake at night.”

January 1924

Article Excerpt: Final Report on Coffee Research

Microorganisms of Coffee

In order to get information which might be of service in the study of the chemistry of coffee, the microorganisms normally occurring on the green bean have been studied. Ten species of molds were found to be of frequent occurrence, the number and distribution varying with different lots of beans. The most common form noted was Aspergillus niger. Other species observed were Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus oryza, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus ostianus, Aspergillus wentii, Aspergillus condidus, Mucor racemosus, Penecillium and fusarium types were also found. There are doubtless other species or genera which may occur from time to time. Under adverse shipping conditions some of these might grow, with some disadvantage to the quality of the product.

The "cultured coffee" process takes advantage of the ability of a particular species of molds to produce the alleged desirable changes in the bean with the consequent improvement in flavor. This is entirely possible and reasonable from the scientific standpoint, provided adequate biological control of the process can be maintained.

On roasted coffees no molds are found until re-contamination by air, dust, or handling has taken place. We have found Aspergillus ostianus on coffee with medium roast and Aspergillus fumigatus and oryza on dark-roasted coffee, as well as a species of penecillium. This fact has no broad technical significance.

Bacteria also occur on green coffee, as might be expected. Five types have been found, none of which seems to be of special significance from the standpoint of coffee treatment.

Experiments conducted indicated that coffee infusions are not fermented, or but slightly acted on by ordinary types of yeast, or by certain kinds of bacteria found on green coffee. Sugar is demon- strated to be present in infusions of ground coffee, but in relatively small quantity in weak infusions. It is probable that the caffein may restrain fermentation, as it is known to do in certain other bacterial fermentation processes. As a matter of fact, we use caffein in certain procedures to keep down the development of certain kinds of bacteria and to permit the development of certain other kinds.

It has frequently been noted that coffee infusions, when exposed to air, become contaminated with molds and that growth is rapid and abundant. Practically all the common molds develop well, producing surface films and dense mats of colored mycelium. The taste of the infusion is quickly affected. Obviously the caffein does not effect the same restraining influence on the viability of molds as on bacteria and yeast .

March 1965

Nature Letter: Ochratoxin A, a Toxic Metabolite produced by Aspergillus ochraceus Wilh.

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