The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-08-27
ESuD FRAUDS.
Ghe Shameful Use of lime and Alum Ia
Cheap UakiHs Powders.


Many food frauds, such as chicorY COT
fee or watered milk, although they are a
swindle in a commercial sense, are often
tolerated because they do not particularly
affect the health of the consumer; but
when am article like baking powder, that
enters largely into the food Of every fam
lily, and is relied upon for the healthtul
preparation of almost every meal. Is so
made asto carry highly injurious, il not
rankly Poisonous, elements into the bread
to the imminent danger Of the entire com
munity, it is the duty of the press to de
nounce the practice III the most emphatic
terms.
Among recent important discoveries by
the food analysts is that by Prof. Mott, the
[. 5. Government Chemist, of the large
amounts OF lime and alum ins the cheap
baking po@ders, These are one the
most dangerous, and the otlef the most
useful, adultela ants yet found in the low
grade. inferior baking powders. 1t is a
startling fact that of over ono hundred diff
ferent brands of baking powder SO far
Analysed, comprising all those sold in this
vicinity, not onp OF them, with the single
exception of the Royal Baking Powder,
was found free from both lime and alum.
The chief service of lime is 10 add weight.
Ii is true that lime, when Subjected to heat,
gives off Il certain amount Of carbonic
acid gas, but Il quiek-limeis left-a caus-
tic so powerful that it is ased by tanners
TO cat the hair from hides of animals, and
in dissccting roanis 10 more quickly rot the
flesh from the bones Of dad subjects. =
small quantity Of dry lime upon the tomgnc,
or in the eye, PRODUCES painful effects; how
much more serious an;$t theAe effects be
upon the delicate maln brancs of the stom-
ach, intcstincs and lddheys. more p%articu-
larlY 81 infants and se4iildrcn, and cspec-
tally when the lime is4akcn into the sys-
TEN day after day, aia with almost every
meal. This is said Is physicians to be one
of the chief causes of Indigestion. dyspep-
STA, and those lainfid Diseases Of til" kid
neys now So PREVALENT Instances of tile
most serious affections 81 the latter organs
from drinking ~limcewaters found i'll some
sections Of the West are noted IN every
medical Journal.
Adulteration in finc is quite as much TO
be dreaded as with alum, which has here
tofore received the most emphatic condem-
nation from every food analyst, physician
and chemist, foF the reason that, While
alum is probably partially dissolved and
passed OF in gas by the heat OF baking, it
is impossible V destroy orr change the
nature Of the lime iii any degree, So that
the entire amoant in the baking powder
passes, with all its iniurions properties,
into the stomach. When We state that the
chemists have found twelve pa cent, or
onc-eighth OF the entire eigld of some
samples Of baking powder analysed, 10 be
lime, the "ickedness of the adttteration
will be fully apparent.
Pare baking powders are one of ale chief
aids to the cook in preparing perfSt and
- ~ TIrIsVL 4 . H. L.
obtained of w~ell-established reputation,
like the Royal, of whose purity there has
never been and cannot be a question, it is
proper to avoid all others.