The Newtown bee., 1888-08-03
Dangerous Food Adulteration. The Fraudulent use of Alum and Lime in Cheap
 Baking Powders.

If consumers prefer to buy an adulfer- ated article of food because it can be had at a lower price, they undoubtedly have the right to do so, provided the adulter- ants are not of character injurious to health. If such articles are not falsely sold as pure and the customer is not de ceived as to their real character, the transaction is not illegitimate-
 But the great danger in the traffic in adulterated food arises from the decept- ion that is practised by manufacturers
 usually chasing such goods as pure \ This is almost invariably done when the adulterans is one that Is injurious to
 health. For instance, manufacturers of
 alum and lime baking powders not only
 fail to inform the public of the real char
 acter of their goods. but carefully con-
 ceal the fact that they are made from these poisonous articles. Most of these
 manufacturers also claim that their ar ticles are pure and wholesome, while
 some go 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 bak-
 ing powders knowingly, for il is we'll un- , health. The sale of lime and alum bak- ! ing powders as pure and wholesome ar [ ticles is. therefore. criminal and it is sat- 7 isfactory to notice that several persons 1 engaged in such sale have already been n brought to justice in the courts
 t The official analysts have recently been F active in the pursuit of these dishonest = articles. The baking powders of several e States have been carefully and critically h examined. The officials are surprised at the large amount of lime and alum goods
 found. It is a suggestive fact that no e baking powder except the Royal has h been found without either lime or alum
 and many contain both. Dr Prices bak-
 ing powder has been found to contain -Ss nearly F per cent of lime. Cleyeland's u II per cent. of impurities the phosphate :! powders over F per cent. of lime
 The chief service of lime is to add
 weight. It is true that lime. when sub
 iected to heat. gives off a certain amoun
 of carbonic acid gas, but a quick lime i e. left-a caustic of most powerful nature IT A small quantity of dry lime upon tn tongue, or in the eye, produces painful 'u effects: how much more serious mus these effects be on the delicate mem ne branes of the stomach, inteslines am \, kidneys, more particularly of infants an, eu children and especially when the lime ,,s taken into the system day after day am IT. with almost every meal. This is said b ne physicians to be one of the causes of in nu digestion, dyspepsia and those painful Se diseases of the kidneys now so prevalent en Adulteration with lime is quite as mnc GU to be dreaded as with alum, which ha ess heretofore received the most emphati oI condemnation from food analysts, phyl Ire icians and chemists, for the reason ths 1t, while alum may be partially dissolved b ne the heat of baking it is impossible to d oi stroy or change the nature of the lime Ill that the entire amount in the bakin aih powder passes, with all it's injurious pro- fCC iaS infn tho stomach
 The large profits from the manufactul l., of lime and alum baking powders h; as placed many of them in the marke 'ro They are to be found in the stock of a
 most every retail dealer and are urg. a upon customers calling for baking po' the ders upon all occasions. Because not their well-known detrimental charact ay. it is desirable that prompt means be ta
 en to suppress thcii manufacture
 Pure baking powders are one of fl ohm chief aids to the cook in preparing pe
 feet and wholesome. food While tho
 arc to be obtained of well-establislD oye reputation, like the Royal, of whose p1 ola ity there has never been a question, it
 proper to avoid all Qthers.