The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-09-16
FOOD FRAUDS.
The SHAMEFUL USE OF LINE AM
ALUM CHEAP BAKING
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HE SHAMEFUL USE VI LIME AN u
ALUM IN CHEAP BAKING
POWDERS.
Many food frauds, such as chicory
coffee or watered milk, although they
are i swindle in II commercial sense,
are often tolerated because they do not
particularly affect the health of the
consumer: but when an article like
baking powder, that enters largely
into the food Of every family, and is
relied upon for the he;,lthful prepara-
tion OF almost every meal, is SO made
as to carry highly injurious. if not
rankly poisonous, elements into the
bread to the imminent danger of the
entire community. it is the duty Of the
press to denounce the practice i'll the
most emphatic terms.
Among recent important discoveries
by the food analysts is that made by
Prof. Mott, tie U. $. Government
Chemist, of large amounts of lime and
alum in the cheap baking powders.
These are one OF the most dangerous,
ard the other the most useless adult
Grants yet found in the low grade. in
ferior baking powders. 1t is Il startling
fact that of over one hundred different
brands of baking powder so far analy-
lied, comprising all of those sold in
this vicinity, not one of them, with the
single exception of the Royal Baking
Powder, was found free from lime or
alum. The chief service of lime is to
add weight. 1t is true chat lime when
subjected to heat, gives off q CERTAIN
amount of carbonic acid gas but quick
lime is left-a caustic so powerful that
it is used by tanners to eat the hair
from hides of animals, and in dissect-
ing rooms to more quickly rot the flesh
from the bones of dead sujects. A small
quantity of dry lime upon the tongue,
or in the eye, produces painful effects;
how much more serious must these
effects be on the delicate membranes
of the stomach, intestines and kidneys,
more particularly of infants and child
rem. and especially when lime is taken
into the system day after day, and with
almost every meal. This is said by
of Indigestion, dyspepsia, and those
painful diseases Of the kidneys now so
prevalent DISTANCES of the most ser.
ious affections of the latter organs from
drinking lime water found in some Sec
tions of the West are noted in every
medical journal.
much to be dreaded us with alum, which
has heretofore received the most en-
,hatic condemnation from every food
analyst, physician and chemist, for the
reason that. while alum is probably
artially dissolved and passed off in
gas by the heat of baking it is impossible
to destroy or change the nature of the
lime in any degree. so that the entire
amount in the baking powder passes,
with all its injurious properties, into
the stomach. When we state that the
chemists have found twelve per cent or
one-ejghth Of the entire weight of some
samples of baking powder analyzed, to
be lime. the wickedness of the adulter-
alton will be fully apparent.
Pure baking powders are one of the
chief aids to the cook in preparing per-
feet and wholesome food. While those
are to be obtained of we'll established d
reputation, like the Royal, of whose
purity there has never been and cannot
be question, it is proper to avoid all
others.