The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-08-19
IMPORTANT FOOD REFORM.
Production Of Chemically Pure Cream Of
Tartar-Total Elimination Of all Lime
lmpurities-New Discovery in Refining.

FROM the New YORK Iribuh'.
Discoveries OF much Importance on
account of the relation they bear toward
more wholesome food supply, and con-
sequently upon the public health, have
been recently made in the process Of re-
filming cream OF tartar. Cream Of tartar,
as Is well known, is bitarlrate Of po-
tassa purified from the crude tartar, or
argol, which collects In crystalline de-
post upon the sides and bottom Of wine
casks during the fermentation Of the
wine. This tartar, In its crude state,
contains lime and other Impurities
which. no process OF refining known
prior to that here described was able to
entirely remove. Ii has been possible,
IL Ia true, TO neutralize the lime to some
extent by the aid of chemicals, and this
method was resorted to In order to pro-
cure cream of tartar In small quantities
was open to serious objection In
view OF the fact that the
chemicals employed for this purpose
were not always washed out but re-
manned in quantities that were unCer-
tain and prejudloial to its quality. The
supposed impossibllity of removing the
lime has. accordingly, caused cream Of
tartar to be olassed and sold rs pure
when 1t did not contain more than five
per cent of this impurity. The major
part, however, OF that used In commerce,
or for culinary purposes, contains the
tartrate of lime to an extent much
greater than five per cent, not infre-
quently being found, upon analysis, de-
bassd to degree equaling one-fourIh
or more of its entire weight.
In II report upon the subject of food
adulteration made to the New York
State Board of Health by Professors
Chandler and Love, IL Is stated that Of
q samples of cream of tartar bought
from dealers as pure, l6 were adulter-
ated with various substances from to
% per cent, while of the remainder all
contained tartrate of lime, some as high
as 1883 per cent.
The serious character OF this adultera-
ton is more readily appreciated when it
IL recollected how largely cream of tar
tar enters into the preparation Of the
food of every family. In connection
with soda in baking powder 1t is the
chief agent now, employed for raising
and making light and digestible all our
biscuit, cake, and other pastry, and Is
besides, in many communities, super
ceding the old fashioned yeast for all
leavening purposes 80 that 1t Is en-
ployed to some extent In almost every
meal of which we eat. The amount of
cream of tartar used in this country in II
year In baking powder and otherwise In
the preparation of food, is estimated ut
l0,0O0,0O0 pounds. If this were 90 per
cent pure-a high estimate-we would
consume l,OOO,OOO pounds or more of
lime annually MS Il substitute fol bread.
So large a deterioration becomes appre-
ciable in the deprivation of our food of II
portion OF its nutritive elements not
only, but II, as Is now supposed, this ex
cess OF lime taken into the system has n
relation to the painful affections of the
kidneys so prevalent in this country,
its bearing upon the health of the en-
tire community Is too important to be
overlooked.
The new process by which cream Of
tartar Is produced 100 per cent pure
that Is. with the lime totally eliminated,
by treating the crude material under
pressure instead of using any chemical
whatever for the purpose, was the dis
covery originally of German chemist,
but has been developed and per-
fected by the Royal Baking Powder
Company of this city, through whose eff
forts few years since in behalf of 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 to
place upon the market only absolutely
pure goods, and the impOssibility of do
ing this from the cream of tartar of COM
meroe, made 1t apparent that some new
method must be sought by which cream
of tartar could be procured in large
quantities, free from lime and chemically
pure. The cream OF tartar reiiners of this
country and Europe when approached
upon the subject, declared such result
impossible, and declined to incur the ex-
penditure necessary to make the trial.
The Royal Baking Powder Company,
accordingly, resolved to solve the prob
lem for itself: and having secured the
aid Of the best chemists of Europe and
America, proceeded with its investiga-
tions and discoveries until the result,
after several years Of labor and the eX-
penditure of over half million dollars
in the purchase of patents, perfecting of
processes, and the erection of buildings
and machinery, was reached in the COM
plete attainment of the end sought.
The works (now owned by The New
York Tartar Coz are located in
Brooklyn, and exceed In size and oapa-
city any other similar refinery in the
world. They produce chemically pure
cream of tartar, which Is now exclusively
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 will
chiefly benefit by the successful issue of
the Investigations. People are coming
daily to more fully appreciate the value
Of pure ana wholesome food. BY the
exclusive use Of this chemically pure
cream of tartar. the Royal Baking Pow
der Is produced entirely free from lime,
and absolutely pure, qualities possessed
by no other baking powders yet made.
A baking powder entirely free from lime
OF other impurity must not only contain
more strength or leavening powder and
produce better food and therefore be
more economical for use, but what is
more important, possess qualities OF
superior wholesomensss.
Chemists and physicians have looked
upon the experiments with much inter-
est, and regard their success as matter
of much imnOrtanca