Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-06-15
DANGEROUS FOOD ADULTERATION
The Fraudulent use of Alum and Lime
in Cheap Baking Powder.

If consumers prefer to buy an adul-
terated article of food because it can
be had at lower price, they undOubt
! eddy 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
illegitimate.
But the great danger in the traffic
in adulterated food arises from the de-
ception that is practised by manu-
facturers usually CHASING such goods
as pure. This is almost invariably
done when the adulterant is one that
is injurious to health. For instance,
manufacturers of alum and lime bak-
ing 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 poison
facturerS also claim that their articles
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 Pow
der itself. No consumer will buy
alum baking powders knowingly, for
it is well understood that they are
detrimental to health. The sale of
lime and alum baking powders as
pure and wholesome articles is, there
fore, criminal, and it 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 dis
honest articles. The baking powders
of several States have been carefully
and critically examined The officials
are surprised at the large amount of
lime and alum goods found. 1t is a
suggestive fact that no baking pow
der except the Royal has been found
without either lime or alum and many
contain both. DR.. Prices baking
powder has been found to contain
nearly II per cent. of lime; Cleve-
lands II per cent. Of impurities; the
phosphate powders over Il per cent.
of lime.
The chief service of lime is to add
weight 1t is true that lime, when
subject to heat, gives off a certain
amount of carbonic acid gas, but
quicklime is left-a caustic of most
powerful nature. \ 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 causes
of indigestion, dyspepsia, and those
painful diseases of the kidneys now SO
prevalent.
Adulteration with lime is quite as
much to be dreaded as with alum,
which has heretofore received the
most emphatic condemnation from
food analysts, physicians and chem
lists, 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 pow
der passes, with all its injurious prop
critics, into the stomach.
The large profits from the manu-
facture of lime and alum baking pow
ders 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 all occasions.
Because of their well-known detri-
mental character it is desirable that
prompt means be taken to suppress
their manufacture.
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-estab
lished reputation, like the Royal, of
whose purity there has never been a
question, it is proper to avoid all
| OIL