Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-12-29
FRAUDS.
The Shameful Use Of Lime and Alum In
Cheap Baking Powder.

The Shameful Use Of Lime and Alum In
Cheap Baking Powders.
Many food frauds. such as chicory in cof-
fee or watered milk, although they are a
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 into the food Of every family, and
IS relied upon for the healthfui preparation
of almost every meal. is so made as to carry
highly injurious. IL 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
adulterations yet found in the low-grade.
inferior baking powders. 1t is startling fact
that of over one hundred different brands
of baking powders so far analyzed, com
prising all those sold in this vicinity, not
one Of them, with the single exception of
the Royal Baking Powder, was found free
from both lime and alum. The chief ser
vice of lime is to add weight. 1t is true
that lime, when subject to heat, gives OF
certain amount OF carbonic acid gas, but
quick-lime Is left-a caustic so powerful
that II Is used by tanners TO eat the hair
from hides of animals, and In dissecting
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 on the delicate |
membranes 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 kidneys now so prevalent |
Instances of the most serious affections of |
the latter organs from drinking lime water |
found in some sections OF the rest are noted |
in every medical journal.
Adulterst with lime . Ute a. much to |
be dreaded a. with alum, " Ici, Los Le7eto-
fore received the most emphatic condemna-
ton from every food analyst, physician and !
chemist, for the reason thst, while alum is
probably partially dissOlNf and passed off |
in gas by the heat of baking, it is impOs-
sible TO destroy or chanR the nature of the
lime in any degree. . that the entire
amount in the baking powder passes, with
all its injurious propeEes, into the stomach.
When we state thai the chemists have
found twelve per ceR OF One-eighth of the
entire weight of sore samples of baking
powder analyzed, ube lime, the wicked
ness of the adultersfiOn will be fully ap-
parent
Pure baking posders are one of the chief
aids to the cook b preparing perfect and
wholesome food While those are TO be
obtained of weEestablished reputation. like
the Royal. of whose purity there has never
been and canBt be a question, it is proper
to avoid all ohers.