The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-04-04
DANGEROUS FOOD ADULT
ERATEaRN.

ERA.TEON.
The Fraudulent Use OF Alum
and Lime Ia Cheap Baking
Powders.
If consumers prefer to buy an
adulterated article of food because
it 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 deceiv-
ed as to their real character, the
transaction is not ilIegitimate.
But this great danger in the traffic
in adplterated food arises from the
deception that is practiced by man
ufacturers usually chasing such
goods as pure. This is almost in
yariably done when the adulterant
is one that is injurious to health.
For instance, manufact tnrer fiiln
and lime baking powders not only
fail to inform the public of the real
character of their goods, but care
fully conceal the fact that they are
made from these poisonous articles.
Most of these manufacturers 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
Powder itself: No consumer will
buy alum baking powders knowing
ly, for it is well understood that
they are detrimental to health
The sale of lime and alum baking
powders as pure and wholesome ar
ticles is, therefore criminal, and it
is satisfactory to notice that sever
al 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
dishonestarticles. The baking pow
ders 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 powder except
the Royal has been found without
either lime or alum, and many con
tain both. DR.. Prices baking pow
der has been found to contain near
ly IL per cent. of lime: Cleveland's
II per cent. of impurities; the phos-
phate powders over u per cent of
lime.
The chief service oflime is to add
weight. 1t is true that lime, when
subjected to heat, gives off certain
amount of carbonic acid gas, but
quick lime Ieft-a 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 be on the delegate mem
branes of the stomach, intestines
and kidneys, more particularly of
infants and children, and especially
when the lime is taken into the sys-
tenn day after day, and with almost
every meal. This is said by ply
sicians to be one of the causes of
Indigestion, dyspepsia, and those
pailful 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 amountin the
baking powder passes, with all its
Injurious properties, into the stom-
ach.
The large profits from the man
ufacture 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 npon
customers calling for baking pow
ders upon all occasions. Because
of their we'll known detrimental
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 pre-
pairing perfect and wholesome food.
While those are to be obtained of
well established reputation, like the
Royal, of whose purity there has
never been a question, it is proper