Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-08-08
TIE WHY and WHEREFORE OF THE
BAKING POWDER BUSINESS.

The Disadvantage of Small Manufacturers.
The recent controversy in the newspapers
over the baking powder question has set our
the subject, and many animated discussions
have followed as to the respective merits Of
different powders now offered in the market
for sale. From what we hear upon every side
we are led to believe that investigations in a
quiet way have been going on in many st.
Paul kitchen. Practical tests OF this kind,
which after all are the most satisfactory that
can be made, will enable our intelligent and
sensible ladies to decide correctly between the
merits OF the different powders without much
assistance from the chemists or newspapers.
There is one point, however, that our fair
experimentalists cannot understand, and that
is why the new baking powders placed in the
market, and those made by small manufac-
turers, may at one time produce light bread,
while upon another trial the same brand will
have no leayening effect, or viii leave the
bread and biscuit yellow, sour or unpalata-
ble
The quality and uniform character of
baking powder must depend, of course, upon
the materials of which it is composed. a
good and efficient powder must be 80 conf
pounded that the use OF the same quantity
will always produce the same amount of
leavening gas, or else the housekeepcr, having
no means of testing its strength or ascertain
ing its variable qualities, cannot tell what
amount to use at different times to
produce the proper effect. II the cream Of
tartar or carbonate of soda, ingredients large
ly used by all manufacturers, is adulterated or
varying in strength, this result is impossible
to obtain, but on the contrary baking pow
der that is both adultersted and variable in its
qualities, like those complained of, is pro-
duced.
rrI W -
been examining various articles OF food, and
its report recently published says: "Of
twenty samples OF cream tarter exam
ined, sixteen were adulterated with terra alba,
starch, phosphate of calcium. ETC., the adul.
teration being from 3.27 to 80 per cent. Five
samples contained 70 per cent. of terra alba
In the soda examined, from II per cent. of
carbonate of lime TO rs per cent. of groud
gypsum were found"
Here ia a solution of the whole question.
All baking powders manufactured in a small
way are made from materials procured, as
were these samples, from the open market
The small manufacturers cannot afford to
employ chemists to test their purity of
strength, and are, therefore, powerless to pre-
vent the adulteration, irregularity and in
feriority which must naturally follow. 1t
will be seen at once that their powders can
not be otherwise than adulterated and lacking
IN strength to similar degree with the ma
terial they use, namely, from to 90 per cent.
The unequal and bad results ia making bread
or biscuit from such powders, as noted by
housekeepers who have II I'd them, is the
natural and inevitable conse ouepce.
This complaint has meyer extended to the
Royal Baking Powder, and this fact is also
easily explained. The Royal Baking Powder
company has an advantage over all other
manufacturers in having facilities possessed
by none of them for obtaining the pure mate
rails. 1t refnes the cream of tartar it uses
direct from the imported grape acid In the
crude form by means of patented processes
exclusively lis own, by which the cream of
tartar Ia rendered absolutely pure and uniform
In strength. In addition to this, it employs a
number of expert chemists who thoroughly
test every pound of ingredient used, and ad.
NIT no material into the Royal Baking Pow.
der compound until they have demonstrated it
chemically pure. AS consequence, the &C
ton of this powder is always uniform as well
| as Of the highest degree of power, and never
fails to produce light, sweet, wholesome and
palatable bread, biscuit or cake. With the
whole world for market, and with sale
many times larger than that of any other Bik-
ing Bowder manufactured, this company finds
it TO its interests to adopt these extraordinary
methods, which no baking powder maker
whose market is limited to a single state oil
locality can afford.