The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-04-15
AN IMPORTANT FOOD REFORM.

Production of Chemically Pure Cream of
Tartar-Totai Elimination of ali Lime
Impurities-New Discoveries in
kefining-A Long Stride to-
wark Pure Food.
(Fron The Nep York 7ribune)
Discoveries of much importance on ae-
count of the relation they bear toward "A
more wholesome food supply and conse-
quently upon the public health, have
been recently made in the process of refin-
ing cream of tartar. Cream of tartar, as
is we'll known, is bitartrate of potassa
purified from the crude tartar, or argol,
which collects ia crystalline deposi I
upon the bottom and sides of wine casks
during the fermentation of the wine.
This tartar, in its crude state, contains
lime and other impurities, which no pro-
cess of refining known prior to that here
described was able to entirely remove. 1t
has been possible, it is true, to neutralize
the lime to some extent by the aid of
chemicals, and this method was resorted
to in order to procure cream of tartar in
small quantities for pharmaceutical pur-
poses but it was open to serious objec-
tion in view of the fact that the chemicals
employed for this purpose were not
~
titles that were uncertain and Irejudicial
to its quality. The supposed Impossibility
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 major part however. of that used III
commerce, or for culinary purposes, con-
tains the tartrate of lime to an extent
much greater than five per cent, not in
frequently being found, upon analysis,
debased to a degree equaling one-fourth
or more of its entire weight.
In report upon the subject of food
adulteration made to the Now York
State Board of Health by Professors
Chandler and Love, it is stated that of
81 samples of cream of tartar bought
from dealers as pure 10 were adul,erated
with various substances from 10 93 per
cent, while of the remainder all contained
tartrate of lime, some as high as 1859
per cent.
The serious character of this adultera-
ton is more readily appreciated when it
is recollected how largely cream of tartar
enters into the preparation of the food OF
every family. In connection with soda
in baking powder 1t is tho chief agent
now employed for raising and making
light and digestible all our biscuit, cake,
and other pastry, aud is besides, in many
communities, superseding the oldfash-
Toned yeast for all leavening purposes, so
that it is employed TO some extent in al
most every meal of what we eat. The
amount OF cream of tartar used 10 this
country In year in baking powder and
otherwise in the preparation of food, is
estimated at ten million pounds. If this
were 90 per cent pure-a high estimate
we would consume ono million pounds or
more of lime annually as substitute for
bread. So large deterioration becomes
appreciable in the deprivation of our
food of portion of its nutritve elements
not only, but if, as is now supposed, this
excess of lime taken into the system has a
relation to the paufnl affections of the
kidneys so prevalent in this country, its
bearing upon the health of the entire
community is too important to be over
looked
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 chemicals
whatever FOR the purpose, was the dis
covery originally of German chemist,
but has been developed and perfected by
the Royal Paking Powder Company of
this city, through whose efforts 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
al ka I'll nj hcnl toll
pure goods, and the impossibility of
commerce, made it apparent that some
new method must be sought by which
cream of tartar could be procured in
large quantities, free from lime and chem
ically pure. The cream of tartar refiners
Of this country and Europe when ap.
preached upon the subject, declared such
result impossible, and declined to incur
the expenditure necessary to make the
trial. The Royal Baking Powder Com
pany, accordingly, resolved to solve the
problem for itself; and having secured
the aid of the best chemists of Europe
and America, proceeded with its investi-
cations 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 tho com
plete attainment of the end sought. The
works (now owned by The New York
Tartar Co., are located in Brooklyn, and
exceed in size and capacity any other
similar refinery in the world. They pro-
duce chemically pure cream of tartar,
which is now exclusively used for phar-
maceutical preparations, and in the
manufacture of the celebrated Royal
Baking Powder.
The energy and outlay that have eff
feoted this will undoubtedly be fully re-
warded by the public which will chiefly
benefit by the successful issue of the in.
vestigations. People are coming daily to
more fully appreciate the value of pure
and wholesome food. By the exclusive
use of this chemically pure cream of tar
tar, the Royal Baking Powder 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 or other
impurity must not only contain more
strength or leavening power ard produce
better food and therefore be more
economical for use, but what is more i'm
portant, possess qualities Of superior
wholesomeuess.
Chemists aud physicians have looked
upou the experiments with much interest