The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-14
AN IMPORTANT Food REFORM.
PRODUCTION or Chemically Pure Crsam OF
Tartar-rorai Elimination OF All Lime
Impsrities-New Discoveries I'm Refining
"A Long stride Toward Pure food.

Productfon or Che mically Pure Crsam OF
Tartar-Torai Elimination of All Lime
Imp.rities-New Discoveries I'm Rehning
"A Long stride Toward Pure food.
New York Tribune.
Discoveries Of much importance on &C.
count Of the relation they bear toward
more wholesome food supply. and conss
quently upon the public health, have been
recently made in the process Of refining
cream OF tartar. Cream Of tartar, az Is well
known, il a bitartrate Of potasss purified
from the crude tartar, or argol, which col
lects in q crystalline deposit upon the bot
1om and sides of wine Casks during the fer
mentstion of the wine. This tartar, in its
crude state contains lime and other impuri-
ties. which no process Of refining known
prior to that here described was able to entire
Jy move. 1t has been possible 1t is true. to
net Talize the lime TO some extent by the
aid OF chemicals, and this method wa
Jescrted TO IL order 10 procure cream OF tar
lar IN small quantities for pharmaceutical
purposes. but IL was Cpen to serious Oh &C
zion in view OF the fact that the chemicals
employed for this puTposs were not ways
washed out but remained in quantities thai
were uncertain and preludiciai 20 it's quality.
The supposed impossibility OF its removing
abe lime has, accordingly. caused cream %
tartar 10 be clsssed and sold es pure when II
did not contain more than per cent OF this
imT nIity. The major part, however, or that
used in commerce, or for culnsry purposes
c0ntains the tertIate OF lime TO an extent
much greater than per can't, not infre-
quently being found, upon analysis, dsbassd
TO degree equaling one-fourEh or more OF
Its entire weight.
IN report upon the subject OF food adul-
tsls,ion made to the New York State Board
o. Health by Professors Chandler and Love,
II IS stated that of twenty seven samples of
cream OF tartar bought from dealers as pare
xixteen we're sdulterated with various sub
stances from to % per cent, while of the re-
mainder all contained ta4 trate of lime, some
ne high as 10 50 per cent
The serious character OF this adulteration
rs more readily appreciated when il is recol-
lected how largely cream of tartar enters
into the preparation Of the food Of every
family. In connection with soda in baking
powder il is the chief agent nov mployed
for raising and making light and digestible
all oar biscuit, cake, and other pastry, and is
besides, in many communities, superseding
the old-fsshioned yeast for all leavsning pur-
poses, so that it is employed to some extent
in almost every meal of which we eat. The
amount of cream OF tartar used In this coun-
try in year in baking powder and other
wise In the preparation of food, is estimated
n at 100000 pounds. If this were 90 per
cent pure-a high esti.nnte-we would con-
annually SIS a substitute for bread So large
q deterioration becomes appTecisble in the
deprivation OF our food OF q portion Of its
nutritive elements Bot only. but III. as is now
supposed this excess OF lime taken into the
system has relation 10 the painful affec
lions of the kidneys 20 prevalent in this
sountry. its bearing upon the health OF the
entire community ia too important to be
overlooked.
The new process by which cream Of tartar
rTaa-
the lime totally eliminated,-b treating the
crude material under pressure instead of us
ing any chemicals whatever for the purpose.
was the discovery originally OF German
chemist. but has been developed and per-
feoted by the Royal Baking Powder Com
pany of this city, through whose efforts
few years since in behalf Of 3 high
standard of purity in food, the public
was rid OF the poisonous alum baking
powders at that time so prevalent.
The determination Of this company 10
place upon the market only absolutely pure
goods, end the impossIbilIty Of doing this
from the cream of tartar of commerce, made
ii apparent that some new method must be
sought by which cream OF tsrter could be
procured in large quantities, free from lime
and chemically pure. The cream OF tarser
IehDers OF this country and Europe when
approached upon the subject declared such
result impossible, and declined 20 incur
tue expenditure necessary to make the trial
The Royal Baking Powder Company accor1.
ingiy resolved 10 solve the problem for itself
and, having secured ihe aid Of the best
chemists Cf Europe ard America proceeded
with its Investigations aid discoveries until
the result, after several years of labor and
the expenditure of over $500 600 in the pur.
chase of patsnts, perfectng OF processes and
the erection Of buildings ard machinery, was
reached in the complete attainment
OF the end sought. The works
now owned by the New York
Tartar Company are located in Brook
Ign, and exceed in size ard capscity auY
other similar refinery in the world. They
produce chemically pure cream of tartar
which is now extensively used for phsrma-
ceuIicsl preparations. and in the msuufac-
frre OF the celebrated Royal Baking Powder.
The energy and outlay that have effected
this will undoubtedly be fully rewarded by
the public which Viii chiefly benefis by the
successful issue Of the Investigations PEG
PIE are coming daily Ia more fully appreciate
the value OF pure and wholesome food. By
the exclusive use OF this chemically pure
cream Of tsrtar, the Royal Baking Powder is
produced entirely free from lime, and ALSO.
luteiv pure. qualities possessed by no other
baking powders yet made a baking powder
entirely free from lime or other impurity
must not OILY contain moro strength or
leavenlrg power, ano produce better food
and therefore be more economical for use,
but what is more important, possess quail
ties OF superior wholesomeness
Chemists and physicians have looked upon
the experiments with much interest aud re-
gard their success as q matter Of much i'm
portance.