Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-03-20
AN IMPORTANT FOOD REFORM.
PRODUCTION OF CHEMICALLY PURE CREAM OF
TARTAR TOTAL ELIMINATION OF ALL LIME
IMPURITIEs-NEw DISCOVERIES IN REFINING
A LONG STRIDE TOWARD PURE FOOD.

TARTAR -ToTAL ELIMINATION OF ALL LIME
IMPURITIEs-NEw DISCOVERIES IN REFINING
A LONG STRIDE TOWARD PURE FOOD.
New York Tribuuel
Discoveries of much importance on ac-
count of the relation they bear toward a
more wholesome food supply and consequent
ly upon the public health, have been recent
ly made in the process of refining cream of
tartar. Cream of tartar, as is well known,
Is bitartrate of potsssa purified from the
crude tartar, or argol which collects in a
crystalline deposit upon the bottom and sides
of wine casks during the fermentation of the
wine, This tartar, in its crude state, con-
tains lime and other impurities, which no
process of refining known prior to that here
described was able to entirely remove. 1t
has been possible, it is true, to neutraliza the
lime to some extent by the aid of chemicals.
and this method was resorted to 10 order to
procure cream of tartar in small quantities
for pharmaceutical purposes but it was
open 10 serious objection in view OF the fact
that the chemicals employed for this purpose
were not always washed out but remained in
quantities that were uncertain and preiudi.
cal to its quality. The supposed impossi-
bility of removing the lime has, accordingly,
caused cream of tartar to be classed and sold
as pure when it did not contain more than
FIVE per cent of this impurity. The mai)r
Poiet hoNtNcis VI thht ubcu III COumefCs, OF
for culinary purposes, contains the tartrate
of lime TO an extent much greater than Eve
per cent, not infrequently being found, upon
analysis, debased to degree equaling one
fourth or more of its entire weight.
In a report upon the subject of food adul-
teration made to the New York State Board
Of Health by Professors Chandler and Love,
it is stated that of 27 samples of cream of
tartar bought from dealers as pure l6 were
adulterated with various substances from
to SO per cent, while of the remainder all
contained tartrste of lime, some as high as
10 SO per cent.
The serious character OF this adulteration
is more readily appreciated when it is recol.
lected how largely cream OF tartar enters in
to the preparation of the food of every fam
lily. In connection with soda in baking pow
der it is the chief agent now employ ed for
raising and making light and digestible all
our biscuit, cake, and other pastry, and is
besides, in many communities, supersedinR
the old-fashioned yeast for all leavening 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
at ten million pounds. If this were 30 per
cent pure-a high estimRte-we would con-
sumo one million pounds or more of lime an
nually as substitute for bread. So large a
deterioration becomes appreciable in the dep
rivation of our food of a portion of its nu.
tritiVe elements not only, but it, as is now
supposed, this excess of lime taken into the
system has relation to the painful affections
OF the kidneys so prevalent in this country,
its bearing upon the health of the entire
community is too important TO be overlooked.
The new process by which cream of tartar
is produced 100 per cent pure-that ia, with
tho lime totally eliminated-by treating the
crude material under pressure instead of u.s.
ing any chemicals whatever for the purpose,
was the discovery originally of German
chemist, but has been developed and perfect
ed by the Royal Baking Powder Com pany of
this city, through whose efforts a few years
since in behalf of a high standard of purity
in food, the public was rid of the poisonous
alum baking powders at that time so preva.
lent.
The determination of this company to place
upon the market only absolutely pure goods,
and the impossibility of doing this from the
cream of tartar of commerce, made il appar-
ent that some new method must be sought
by which cream of tartar could be procured
in large quantities. free from lime and chem
icaly pure. The cream of tartar refners of
this country and Europe when approached
upon the subject, declared such q result i'm
possible, and declined to incur the expendi-
ture necessary to make the trial The ROYAL
Baking Powder Company, accordingly, re
solved to solve the problem for itself; and
having secured the aid of the best chemists
OF Europe and America, proceeded with its
Investigations and discoveries until the re-
suit, after several years of labor and the ex-
penditure OF over half million dollars in
the purchase of patents, perfectiug of proc
esses, and the erection of buildings and ma
chinery, was reached in the complete attain
ment of the end sought. The works (now
owned by the New York Tar ar Co.. are To-
Gated in Brooklyn, and exceed in size and
capacity any other similar refinery in the
world. They produce a chemically pure
cream of tartar, which is now exciusiTelv
used for pharmaceutical preparations and in
the manufacture of the celebrated ROYAL
Baking Powder
The energy and outlay that have effected
this, will undoubtedly be fully rewarded by
the public which it will chiefly benefit by the
successful issue of the Investigations. Peo-
pie are coming daily to more fully appreciate
the value of pure and wholesome food. By
the exclusive use of this chemically pure
cream of tartar, the Royal Baking Powder is
produced entirely free from lime, and abso-
lutely pure, qualities possessed by no Other
baking powders yet made. A baking DOW
der entirely free from lime or other impurity
must not only contain more strength or leav-
ening power and produce better food and
therefore be more economical for use, but
what 10 more important, possess qualities of
superior wholesomeness
Chemists and physicians have looked upon
the experiments with much interest, and re.
gard their success as a matter of much i'm
portance.
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