Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-10-15
AN IMPORTANT Foop REFORM.
Production Of Chemically Pure Cream OF Tartar
Total Elimination or all Lime Impurities
New Discoveries in Reflning--A Long
Stride Toward Pare Food.
From the New York Tribune

new discoveries IN henning-A Long
Stride Toward Pure Food.
From the New York Tribune
Discoveries of much Importance on
account of the relation they bear to-
ward more wholesome food supply
and consequently upon the public
health, have been recently made in the
process OF refining cream Of tartar.
Cream of tartar, as is well known, is
bitarlrate OF pOtassa purified from the
crude tartar. or argol, which collects
in crystalline deposit upon the bot
tom and sides 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 de-
scribed was able to entirely remove. 1t
has been possible, it is true, to neutral
ize 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 its quality
The supposed impossibility of rem0v-
ing 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
IN commerce, or for culinary purposes,
contains the tartrate of lime to an ex-
tent much greater than five per cent,
not infrequently being found, upon
analysis, debased to a degree equal
ing one fourth of more of its entire
weight.
In 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
q samples of cream of tartar bought
from dealers as pure, 16 were aduter-
atcti with various substances from 8 to
y3 per cent, while of the remainder all
contained tartrats I line, some as high
as 10 % per cent.
The serious character of this adulter-
alton is more readily appreciated when
1t is recollected how largely cream OF
tartar enters into the preparation OF
the food of every family In conuec-
ton with soda in baking powder, it is
the chief agent now employed for rails
ing and making light and digestible all
our biscuit, cake. aud other pastry,
and is besides, in many communities,
superseding the old-fashion yeast for
all leavening purposes, so that it 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
a 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 one million pounds or
more of lime annually as n substitute
for bread So large deterioration be-
comes appreciate in the deprivation
of our food of a portion of its nutritive
elements not only, but if, as is now
supposed, this excess of lime taken into
the system has a 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
tartari is produced 100 per cent pure
that is, with the lime totally eliminated
by treating the crude material under
pressure instead ofusing any chemicals
whatever for the purpose, was the dis
covery originally of German chemist,
but has been developed and perfected
by the Royal Baking 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 place upon the market only absolute
ly pure goods, and the imposibility 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. de-
clared such result impossible, and de-
clined to incur the expenditure neces-
sary to make the trial. The Royal
Baking Powder company, accordingly,
resolved to solve the problem for itself;
and having secured the aid of the best
chemists of Europe and America, pro.
ceeded with its Investigations and dis
coveries. until the result, after several
years OF labor and the expenditure of
over half million dollars in the pur-
chase of patents, perfecting of pro-
cessos, and the erection of buildings
and machinery, was reached in the COM
plete attainment Of the end sought. The
works (new 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 produce a 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 eff
fected this will undoubtedly be fully re-
warded by the public which will chiefly
benefit by the successful issue of the in
designations. People are coming daily
to more fully appreciate the value of
pure and wholesome food. By the ex-
elusive 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
or other impurity must not only contain
more strength or leavening power and
produce better food aud therefore be
more economical for use, but what is
more important, possess qualities of SUI
perior wholesomeness.
Chemists and physicians have looked
upon the experiments with much inter-
est, and regard their success as matter
nf t,atrab it,1nnrtonoa