The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-08-31
FOOD FRAUDS.
The Shameful Use OF Lime and
Alum i'm Cheap Baking
Powders.

Many food frauds, such as chicOry coffee
or watered milk, although they are a swim
die in a commercial sense, are often tOlera-
ted 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 healthful prepara-
ton OF almost every meal, is so made as 20
carry highly injurious, II not rankly Pois-
onous, elements into the bread 10 the immi-
nent danger Of the entire community, II Is
the duty Of the press TO denOunce the Prac-
tice in the most emphatic terms.
Among recent important discoveries by
the food analysts Is that Pro-. Mott, the
L. 5. government chemist, OF large amounts
of lime and alum in the cheap baking
powders. These are, one the most danger
Gus, and the other the most uSele,s, aduI-
terants 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 analysed, comprising
all those sold in this vicinity, not one OF
them with single exception OF the Royal
Baking Powder, was found free
from both lime and alum.
The chief service Of lime Is to
add weight. 1t i 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 powerful that il 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 mole serious
must these effects be upon the delicate men,
branes of the stomach, intestineS and kid
news, 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 80 prevalent.
Instances of the most serious affections CT
the latter organs from drinking lime waters
found in some sections OF the west are no.
ted In every medical journal.
Adulteration with lime Is quite a much
to be dreaded as with alum, which has
heretofore received the most emphatic con-
domination from every food analyst, phySi-
clan and chemist for the reason that while
alum is probably partially dissolved and
passed off in gas by the heat of baking, 1t
is impossible to destroy or change the ma
ture Of the lime in any degree, 50 that the
entire amount in the baking powder passes
with all Its injurious properties into the
stomach. When we state that the chem
lists have found twelve per ceu:, or one
eighth of the ent re weishtO OF some samples
of baking powder analysed TO he liGe, the
wickedness of the adulteratiOn Will be fully
apparent.
Pure baking powders are one Of the
chief al Is TO the cook in preparing perfect
and wholesome food While those are TO
be obtained Of well-established reputation,
like the Royal, OF whose purity there has
never been and cannot be question, 1t lie
proper to avoid all others.