The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-04-16
AN IMPORTANT FOOD REFORM.

! 1
Production of Chemically Pure Cream @
Tartar-total Elimination of all lin
1mpurities-New DISCOVERIES in Re
fning-a Long Stride Toward Pur
Food.
From the New York Tribune.
Discoveries of much Importance OF
account of the relation they bear to
ward more wholesome food supply
and consequently npon the public
health. have been recently made in
the process of refining cream of tar.
tar. Cream of tartar, as is well
known, is bitartrate of potassa pur-
flied from the crude tartar, or argol
which collects in crystalline deposit
upon the bottom and sides of wine
casks during the fermentation of the
wine. This tartar, il its crude state,
contains 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 nentraiize
the lime to some extent by the aid of
chemicals, and this method was re-
sorted to in order to procure cream of
tartar in small quantities for pharma-
ceutIcal purposes; but it was open to
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 prejudicial to It's quail
ty. The supposed impossiDility of re-
moving the lime has, accordingly,
caused cream of tartar to be claSsed
and sold as pure when it did not con-
tain more than five per cent. of this
impurity. The major part, however,
of that used in commerce, or for culin-
airy purposes, contains the tartrate of
lime to an extent much greater than
five per cent, not infrequently being
found, upon analysis, deDased to de-
gree equaling one-fourth or more of
its entire weight.
In a report upon the subject Of food
adulteration made to the New York
State Board of health, by Professors
Chandler and Love, it is stated that of
twenty seven samples of cream of tar
tar bought from dealers as pure, six
teen were adulterated with various
substances from 3 to SO per cent, while
of theremalnder all contained tartrate
of lime, some as high as 1859 per
cent.
The serious character of this adul-
teration is more readily appreciated
when it is recollected how largely
cream of tartar enters into the prepare
tion of the food of every family. In
connection with soda in baking pow
der it is the chief agent now employed
in raising and making light and di-
gestible our all biscuit, cake, and other
pastry, and is besides, in many COM
munities, superceding the old fash
Toned yeast for all leavening purposes,
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 country in year in baking pow
der and otherwise IN the preparation
of food, is estimated at 100000
pounds. If this were 80 per cent.
pure-a high estimate would con-
sumo 100000 pounds or more of lime
annually as q substitute for bread.
So large deterioration becomes ap-
preciable in the deprivation of
our food of portion of its nutrItive
elements not only, but if, 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 commu-
nifty 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 eliminat-
ed,-by treating the crude material
under pressure instead OF using any
chemicals whatever for the purpose,
was the discovery originally of Ger
man chemist, but has been developed
and Perfected by the Royal Baking
Powder Company of this city, through
whose efforts few years since in be-
half of high standard of purity in
food, the public was rid of the poison
Gus alum baking powders at that time
so prevalent.
The determination of this Company
toplace upon the market only absolute
ly pure goods, and the impossibility OF
doing this from the cream of tartar 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
chemically pure. The cream of
tartar refiners of this country and
Europe when approached upon the
subject, declared such result i'm
possible, and declined to incur the eX-
penditure necessary to make the trial
The Royal Baking Powder Co., accord
ingly, resolved to solve the problem
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
expenditure of over half a million
dollars in the purchase of patents,
perfecting of processes, and the cree
ton of buildings and machinery, was
reached in the complete attainment OF
the end sought. The works (noN
owned by the New York Tartar Com
panv) are located in Brooklyn. and ex
coed in size and capacity any othel
similar refinery in the world. They
produce a chemically pure cream o.
tartar, which is now exclusively uset
for pharmaceutical preparations, ant
in the manufacture of the celebrated
Royal Baking Powder.
The energy and outlay that hav
, effected this will undoubtedly be full
rewarded by the public which will
chiefly benefit by the successful iSSu
of the Investigations. People are com
ing daily to more fully appreciate tn
value of pure and wholesome food
By the exclusive use of this chemical
6 ly pure cream of tartar, the Roys
! Baking Powder is produced entirel
J free from lime, and absolutely pure
= qualities possessed by no other bakin
powders yet made. A baking powde
! ! entirely flee from lime or other i'm
= purity must not only contain NOR
9 strength or leavenlng power and pre-
l duce better food and therefore be MOI
= oDomical for use, but what is NOR
! important, possess qualities of supe
u rior wholesomeneSs.
! Chemists and physicians have lool
T. ed upon the experiments with muc
. interest, and regard their success as
matter of much Importance.
v Not satisfactory.
q San AntOnia Times.
: The San Antonio Times attemp