, 1879-02-16
ADULYERATION.
Not as Bad as Represented, and No
Cause for Alarm,
4 Talk with Manufacturer Of Bak,
ing-Powder.
The Recent Agitation on|T Clerer Advertising
Dodge Of an Eastern Firm.
The Western Trade Not AT
fected.

The Eastern papers seem 10 pe. engaged In
vigorous crusade against adu1terattons in Ger
tain articles OF food Which, it is claimed, are
practiced extensively In that section, and last
week THE TRIBUNE published 4 number OF ex-
tracts giving the details OF some OF these prac
1iccs. Amongst other things, it will be remem
hercd that baking-powder came in for largt
share OF attention, and there, was kind o.
wholesale condemnation Of aI the brands o.
Western manufacture in particular, An at
tempt was made to prove by chemical ANALYSIS
that all Of these latter brands were dangerous
to the public health, and that there was but one
particular kind Of baking-powdcr that was I'll
to use.
For the purpose Of obtaining some reliable in-
formation on the extent Of authorizations in this
market, TRIBUNE representative called on
AIessrs. Thomson s. Taylor, wholesale dealers
in roasted and ground cotfecs and spices, Nos.
IS, 10, aud ~ South Water street.
This firm is one Of the best known In the
West, aud in the amount of capital employed,
as we'll as the extent Of business transacted, is
one OF the leading houses in the city. They are
proprictors OF the celebrated "Chartres ~
brand OF baking g-powdcr, which was one OF the
list mentioned By Or. Henry 4. Mott, OF Boston,
ps containing alum. Mr.. Thomson received the
representative with his usual courtesy, aud an
swcrcd the queries US follows:
|'Haye you seen tile articles on adulteration
in the Eastern papers latcly!"
eyes" replied Mr. Thomson, with q smile,
~ Sc: they are trying to get up sensation !:
but, although there is some truth in their state
ments, there is great deal Of exaggggeration and
unnecessary alar1l."
any danger to the public from authorizations in
this liue3''
7. tWell, there arc undoubtedly some com
pounds sold rs baking powder that are more OF
less injurious, but the same might be said Of
baking-powders long before alum WIS used as
au ingredient. We have been in the business Of
manufacturing bakiny-powder for nearly ten
years, and VIC. are now selling o00, TOO pounds
yearly Uhis statement was verified BY actual
examination OF the books Of Thomson t. Tay-
lori, but We have yet to hear Of single co1ll-
platnt against tue quality OF our goods"
What is the cause Of the present excitement
about king-powdcr!"
"All this talk has been started in the interest
of a certain Eastern firm whose brand of
bakills-powder bns gradually been supptapted
in the West BY the better aud cheaper manu-
factures. lu order to regain portion OF their
trade they are now trying to show that other
brands, and particularly those OF Western man-
ufacture, are injurious In consequence of the
alum contained, and the general public, not be-
ing supposed to be particularly well yersed In
chemistry, are liable to be deceived by the
ridiculous prctcnsions and assertions Of this
Eastern 1rn."
The article, as it originally appeared, was prob
ably uaid for by this company. and portions Of
it have been extensively copied in the Western
press. The testimony Of a number Of medical
gentlemen is trst given to show that alum taken
in quantities is injurious to the system. Then
the result Of chemical analysis by Dr.. Mott is
given, showing that alum enters into the COM
position OF a number Of brands Of baking
powder, and it is therefore argued that these
brands are necessarily dangerous. The fact
that the alum in the baking g-powder combines
'Tth the btcarbonate Of soda, another Ingredient
to form the carbonic acld gas to which the action
in the BACKGROUND, and the fears Of the public
are worked upon to induce the purchase Of tile
particular brand, which makes q great parade
Of the fact that it uses cream-oftartar in place
OF alum.
s;Thcn you think that the presence OF alum as
On ingredient IN baking-powdcr is not ncces-
sarily Gaagerous:"
s'Ccrtainly not, for the character is changed
By the chcmica; combination which takes place
in the action OF the baking powder above re-
powder, but it is specially prepared for the pur-
pose under patent process which eliminates
all the impurities. We hare submitted our
baking-powder to the Investigations OF several
Of the leading chemists OF the United States,
and ali give it their unqualified Endorsement.
OF tests that may be desired, and We defy any
one to show thai our baking g-powdcr is inferior in
any respect. We also make the ''Staudard" !" brand,
in which only the best cream-of-tartar and soda
are uscd and which has no superior either East or
Ncst Our "Chartres" " brand is made to meet
the demand for cheap article, and, while we
do not pretend that it is equal to our 6fand-
ard,' vet VIC do claim that there is nothing
deleterious in it, and that all the talk about the
injurious effects from the alum in its composition
is simply nonsense"
"WiIl your trade ba affected by this asita-
tions''
';Not in the least. Our customers nave had
a practical experience with baking-powdcrs and
have lung SINCE satisfied themselves on the
actual merits Of the different brands. Dealers
can easily see the aD;knus OF these Wholesale
charges, and arc too sensible to be misled by
any sue' ridiculous statements"
"There was also somcth'uG sa1d last week
about adultcratiou in spices. Is there any truth
u tltasi''
"Therc may be some truth. There are firms
who prepare spices for the cheap grocery trade,
and who were encouraged in these practices by
the high prices Of tic genuine spices, but. such
hardly pay at present, as we ere
low selling the best quality Of everything in tile
spice lue so low that no retail grocer who values
lis trade will offer anything else to bis custom
RS: The fact is thai Chicago enterprise is COM
telling the Eastern dealers to resort to despcr-
# this section; butt as l said before, We challenge
he fullest Investigation, aud nc lave no fears
It the rcsult.'
ALUM IN BAKlNG-P0WDERs.