The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-05-01
IMPORTANT FOOD REFORM.

ImTOR1ANL FOOD REFUhM.
t PRODUCTION OF CHEMICALLY PURE CREA
). OF TART4R-ToTAL ELIMINATION OF Al
= LINE IMPURITIES-NEW DISCOVERIES
oil REFINING-A LONG STRIDE TOWARD PUI
II FOOD.
: from the New York Tribune,
81 Discoveries of much importance &
, account of the relation they bear toWal
! more wholesome food supply, and col
sequently upon the public health, hay
been recently made in the process
cream of tartar. Cream of tartar, as
well known, is a bitartrate of potass
purified from the crude tartar, or argo
Il which collects in a crystalline depos
upon the bottom and sides of wine cask
during the fermentation of the wine
This tartar, i'll its crude state, contain
lime and other impurities, which n
process of refining known prior to tina
here described was able to entirely re
move. 1t has been possible, it is true
20 neutrallze the lime to some extent b,
the aid of chemicals, and this methol
was resorted to in order to procure cream
OF tartar in small quantities for pharma
ceutlcal purposes but it was open tt
serious objection in view of the fact tina
the chemicals employed for this purpose
were not always washed out, but remain
ed In quantities that were uncertain anc
preJudiclal to its quality. The supposed
lmpossibility Of removing the lime has
accordingly, caused cream of tartar te
be classed and sold as pure when it die
not contain more than five per cent o.
this impurity. The major part, how
ever, of that used in commerce, or fol
culinary purposes, contains the tartrate
OF lime to an extent much greater thar
i've per cent, not infrequently being
found, upon analysis, debased to de-
gree equaling one-fourth or 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 oil
"a samples of cream of tartar bought
from dealers as pure 16 were adulterated
with various substances from to SO per
cent, while of the remainder all contain.
ed tartrate of lime, some as nigh as
1859 per cent.
The serious character of this adultera-
ton is more readily appreciated when it
IS recollected how cream of tartar enters
into the preparation of the food of every
family. In connection with soda in
baking powder it is the chief agent now
employed for making light and digesti-
BILE all our biscuit, cake, and other pas
try, and is besides, in many communi-
ties, superseding the old-fashioned 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 a
year in baking powder and otherwise in
the preparation 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 substitute for bread.
so large deterioration becomes ap-
preciable in the deprivation of our
food of a portion of its nutritive
elements not only, but if, as it is now
supposed, this excess of lime taken into
the system has relation to the painful
affection 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
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 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 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
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
refners of this country and Europe, when
approached upon the subject, declared
such result impossible, and declined
to incur the expenditure necessary to
make the trial. The Royal Baking Pow
der Company, accordingly, resolved to
solve the problem for itself; and, 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 mil.
lion dollars in the purchase Of patents,
perfecting of processes, and the erection
of bulldogs 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 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
effected this will undoubtedly be fully
rewarded by the public, which will chief
ly benefit by the successful issue Of the
investigations. 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 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 powder and pro-
duce better food, and therefore be more
economical for use, and what is more
important, possess qualities of superior
wholesomeness.
Chemists and physicians have looked
upon the experiments with much in.
terest, and regard their success as a
matter of much importance.
BRISTOL.