The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-19
Food Frude.
THE SHAMEFUL USE OF LINE ANp ALUM
IN CHEAP BAKING POWDERS

IN CHEAP BAKING POWDERS
Many food frauds. such - ehickory cof
Zee or waiered milk, although they are q
,windle in commercial sense, arr often
olerated because they do not particularly
affect the health of the consumer; bur
when an article like baking powder, that
cutters largely into the food OF every fami
ly, and is relied upon for the healthful
preparation Of almost every meal, IL SO
made as to carry highly injurious if not
ranklv poisonous elements into the bread
10 the eminent danger of the entire com
munity, it is the duty OF the press TO en-
ehaticallv denounce the manufacturers
whose avarice has prompted them to such
diabolical operations.
Among recent important discoveries by
he food analysts is that by Prof. Mott, the
United States Government Chemist, OF
arge amounts of lime in the cheap baking
powders. i his is, if not the most danger
us, certainly he most useless adulterant
vet found in the low grade, inferior baking
aowders. 1t is startling fact that of over
one hundred different brands Of baking
powder so far analysed, comprising all
hose 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 service OF
lime is to add weight. 1t is true that lime
Ahen subjected to heat gives of a certain
mount of carbonic acid gas, bat a
luick lime is left, a caUstic so powerful
hat it is used by tanners to eat the hair
rom hides of animals, and in dissecting
roums to more quickly rot the flesh from
The bones of dead subjects. A small
quantity of dry lime upon the tongue or
n the eye, produces painful effects; how
much more serious must these effects be
upon the delicate membranes OF the
stomach, intestines and kidneys, more par
ticularly Of infants and children, and
when the lime is taken into the
system day after day and with almost
every meal This is said by physicians to
ne 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 waters found ia
some sections of the west are noted in
every medical journal.
Adulteration with lime is even more to
be dreaded than with alum, which has here
tofore 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 pasted 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-eighth of the entire weight OF some
samples OF baking powder anaiyzed 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 perfect and
wholesome food. While those are to be
obtained of we'll established reputation
iite the Royal, of whose purity there has
never been and cannot be a question, it is
proper to avoid all others.