The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-05-21
Food Frauds.
THE SHAMEFUL USE OF LIME AND ALUM
IN CHEAP BAKING POWDERS.

THE SHAMEFUL USE OF LIME AND ALUM
IN CHEAP BAKING POWDERS.
Many food frauds, such as chicory
coffee or watered milk, although they
are swindle in 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 in
to the food of every family, and is re-
lied upon for the healthful preparation
of almost every meal, is 80 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 in the most
emphatic terms.
Among recent important discoveries
by the food analysts is that by Prof.
Mott, the U. S. Government Chemist,
OF large amounts of lime and alum in
the cheap baking powders. These
are, one the most dangerous, and the
other the most useless, adulteran,s yet
found in the low grade, inferior baking
powders. 1t is a startling fact that Of
over one hundred different brands of
baking powder so far analyzed, com
prising all those sold in this vicinity,
not one of them, with the single ex.
ception of the Royal Baking Powder,
was found free from both lime and
alum. The chief service of lime is to
add weight. 1t is true that lime, when
subjected to heat, gives off a certain
amount of carbonic acid gas, but a
quick lime is left-a caustic so power.
tul that it is used by tanners to eat the
hair from hides of animals, and in dis
secting rooms to more quickly rot the
flesh from the bones of dead subjects.
A small quantity Of dry lime upon the
tongue, or in the eye, produces painful
effects how much more serious must
these effects be upon the delicate men,
branes OF the stomach, intestines and
kidneys, more particularly of infants
and children, and especially when the
lime is taken into the system day after
day, and with almost every meal. This
is said by physicians to be one of the
chief causes of indigestion, dyspepsia,
and those painful diseases of the kid
deys now 80 prevalent. Instances of
the most serious affections of the latter
organs from drinking lime waters found
in some sections of the West are noted
in every medical Journal
Adulteration with lime is quite as
much to be dreaded as with alum which
has heretofore received the most EN-
phatic condemnation from every food
analyst, physician and chemist, for the
reason that, while alum is probably
partially dissolved and passed off in
gas by the heat of baking, it is i'm.
possible 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 eighth of the entire weight
of some samples of baking powder an
alyzed, to be lime, the wickedness of
the adulteration will be fully apparent.
Pure baking powders are one of the
chief aids to the cook in preparing per
feet and wholesome food While thoee
are TO be obtained of well. established
reputation, like the Royal, of Whose
purity there has never been and cannot
be question, it is proper to avoid all
others.