Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-04-17
AN IMPORTANT FOOD Reform.
Production of Chemically Pure Cream of
Tartar-1otal Elimination of all Lime
1mpurities-New Discoveries in Refin-
ipg-A Long Stride Toward Pure Food.

of Chemically Pure Cream of
Tar,ar-Iotal Elimination of all Lime
Impurities-New Discoveries in Rein
iDg-A Long Stride Toward Pure Food.
From the New York Tribune.l
Discoveries of much importance on ac-
count of the relation they bear toward
more wholesome food supply, and conse-
quently upon the public health, have been
recently made in the process of refining
cream of tartar. Cream of tartar, as is
well known, is bitartrate of potassia puri-
fed from the crude tartar, or argol, which
collects in a crystalline deposit upon the bot
tom and sides of wine casks during the fer
mentation of the wine. This tartar, in its
crude state, contains lime and other impu
rites, which no process of refining known
prior TO that here described was able TO
entirely remove. 1t has been possible, 1t 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 pharmaceuti-
cal purposes; but it was open to serious OBJ
lection in view of the fact that the chemi-
Gals employed for this purpose We're not
always washed out, but remained i'll guam
titles that were uncertain and prejudicial to
its quality. The supposed impossibility of
removing the lime has, accordingly, caused
pure when it did not contain more than five
per cent. of this impurity The major
part, however, OF that used i'll commerce,
or for culinary purposes, contains the tar
trate of lime to an extent much greater
than five per cent, not infrequently being
found, upon analysis, debased to degree
eoualing 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 ana
Love- it is stated that of - samples of cream
of tartar bought from dealers as pure, 10
were adulterated with various substances
from > to 93 per cent, while of the remain
der all contained tartrate OF lime some as
high as 1883 per cent.
The serious character of this adulteratlon
is more readily appreciated, when it is
recollected how largely cream of tartar Ell
tiers into the preparation Of the food OF
every family. In connection with soda in
baking powder, it is the chief agent now
employed for raising and making light and
digestible all our biscuit. cake and other
pastry, and is besides, i'll many communi-
ties, superseding the old-tashioned yeast for
all leavening purposes, so 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 year, IN bak-
ing powder and otherwise in the prepara-
ton of food, is estimated at ten million
pounds. If this were 80 per cent. pure-a
high eStimate-we would consume one
million pounds or more of lime annually
as a substitute for bread So large dete-
rioration becomes appreciate in the deprl-
walton of our food OF a portion OF ITS nuirl-
tive elements not only, but it. as Is now
supposed, this excess of lime taken into the
system has a relation to the painful alice
tions of the kidneys so prevalent In TINS
country, its bearing upon the health OF the
entire community is too important to be
overlooked.
The new process by which cream OF tar
tar is produced 100 per cent. pure-that IS,
with the lime totally eliminated-by treat
ing the crude material under pressure in
stead of using any chemicals whatever for
the purpose, Was the discovery originally OF
a 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 stand
ard 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 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
retiners of this country and Europe, when
approached upon the subject, declared such
a result impossible, and declined to incur
the expenditure necessary to make the trial
The ROYAL Baking Powder accordingly re-
TO l-o; hn
having secured the aid of the best chemists
of Europe and America, proceeded with
its investigations and discoveries until the
result. after several years of labor and the
expenditure of over half a million dollars
in the purchase of patents, perfectlng OF
processes. and the erection of buildings and
machinery, was reached in the complete
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 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. PeO
pie are coming daily to more fully appre-
ciate the value of pure and wholesome
food. By the exclusive use of this chemi-
cally pure cream of tartar, the Royal Bak-
ing Powder is produced entirely free from
lime, and absolutely pure, qualities pos
sessed by no other baking powders yet
made. A baking powder entirely free from
lime or other impurity must not only con-
tain more strength or leavening power, and
produce better food, and therefore be more
economical for use, but what is more i'm
portant, possess qualities of superior whole
someness.
Chemists and physicians have looked
upon the experiments with much interest,
and regard their success as matter OF
much Importance.
PREsBYrERY OF SACEAMENTo-The town