Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-04-18
DANGEROUS FOOD AouLTERATIoN.
The Fraudulent Use Of Alum and Lime
in Cheap Baking Powders.

The Fraudulent Use of Alum and Lime
in Cheap Baking Powders.
II consumers prefer to buy an adulterated
article of food because 1t can be had at a
lower price they undoubtedly have the right
to do so, provided the adulterants are not
of character injurious to health. If such
articles are not falsely sold as pure and the
customer is not deceived as to their real
character, the transaction is not illegiti-
mate.
But the. .great,,dan in the traffic in adul :
Grated food articles arises from the deception
that is practiced by manufacturers usually
CHASING such goods as pure. This is al
most inyaribIy done when the adulterant is
one that is injurious to health. For in
stance, manufacturers of alum and lime
baking powders not only fail to inform the
public Of the real character of their goods,
but carefully conceal the fact that they
are made from these poisonous ar
ticles. Most of these manufacture
ers also claim thst their articles are pare
and wholesome, while some 20 still further
and proclaim boldly that they are cream Of
| tartar goods or even the genuine Royal
Baking Powder itself. No consumer will
buy alum baking powders knowingly, for
it is well understood that they are detrimen-
tai to health. The sale of lime and alum
baking powders as pure and wholesome
articles Is, therefore, criminal, and il is
| satisfactory to notice that several persons
| engaged in such sale have already been
brought to justice in the courts.
The official analysts have recently been
active In the pursuit OF these dishonest
| articles. The baking powders of several
states have been carefully and critically ex-
amined. The officials are surprised at the
large amount of lime and alum gooC
found 1t is a suggestive fact that no bal :
ing powder except the Royal has been
found without either lime or alum, and
many contain both. DR.. Prices bakiI z
powder has been und to contain II per
cent Of lime; Clevelands IL per cent. of
impurities; the phosphate powders over IL
per cent of limo.
The chief service of lime is to add
weight. 1t Is true that lin Q wien sub
jected to heat, gives off certain amount
of carbonic acid gas, but quick lime is
left, caustic Of most powerful nature. A
small quantity Of dry lime upon the tongue
or In the eye produces painful effects how
much more serious must these effects he on
the delicate membranes of the stOmst b, in
testines and kidneys, more particularly of
infants aid children. and especially when
the lime is taken into the system day aft. +
day. and with almost every meal. This is
said by physicians to be one of the causes
of indigestion, dyspepsia and those painful
diseases OF the kidneys now so prevalent.
Adulterstion with lime is quite as much
| to be dreaded as with alum, which has
| heretofore received the most emphatic coll
demnaliOn from food Bn tlysts, physician s
and chemists, for the reason that, while alum
may be partially dissolved by the heat of
baking it is impossible to destroy or change
the nature Of the lime so that the entire
amount in the baking powder passes, with
ali its Injurious properties, into the It mach.
The large profits from the manufac. ure
of lime and alum baking powders has
placed many Of them in the market. They
are to be found in the stock of almost every
retail dealer. and are urged upon customers
calling for baking powders upon sll occa.
sions. Because of their weli-known detri.
mental character 1t is desirable that prompt
means be taken to suppress their manufac-
ture.
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 well-establshed reputation,
like the Royal, of whose purity there has
never been question, it is proper to avoid
all others.
Respecting the word "blizzard." corre-
spondent writes to London Notes and
n.