Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-04-03
DANGEROUS FOOD ADULTERA-
TON.

The Fraudulent Use Of Alum and Lime In
Cheap Baking Powders.
II consumaIs prefer TO buy an adultera-
ted article of food because it cal be had st
q lower price they undoubtedly have tho
right to do 50, provided the adulterants are
not of a character I'M furious to health. If
such articles are not falsely sold as pure
and the customer is not deceived as to their
real character, the transaction Ia not illegi-
innate.
But the great danger in the traffic in
adulterated iOOd arises from the deception
that is pTacticed by manufacturers usually
chasing such goods as pure. This is almost
invariably done when the sdultefaDt is one
that ia Injurious to health. For instance,
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
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 L lyal
Baking Powder itself. No consumer will
buy alum baking powders knowingly, for
it is we'll understood that they are detri.
mental to health. The sale of lime and
alum baking powders as pure and whole
some articles is, therefore, criminal, and it
is satisfactory to notice that several per
sons 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 powderH 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 q suggestive fact that no
baking powder except the Royal has been
found without either lime or alum, and
many contain both. DIR. Prices baking
powder has been found to contain nearly
II par cent. of lime; Cleveland's IL per
cent. of impurities; the phosphate powders
over II per cent. Of lime.
The chief service Of lime is to add weight.
1t is true that lime, when subjected to
heat, gives off u certain amount of car
bonic acid gas, but a quick lime is left-a
caustic of a most powerful nature. A
small quantity OF dry lime upon the ton
que, or in the eye, praduces painful effects;
how much more serious must these effects
be on the DELEGATE membranes of the stom-
ach, intestines and kidneys, more particu-
larly of infants and children, and espeC-
Tally when the lime is taken into the sys-
TEN 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 on
domination from food analysts, physicians
and chemists, for the eason that while
alum Ioay he 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 all its Injurious properties,
into the stomach.
The large profits from the manufacture
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 custom
ers calling for baking powders upon all oc-
casiuns. Benause of their well-known det-
rimental 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 foCd. While those are to be OBJ
tanned Of we'll established reputation, like
the Royal, OF whose purity there has never
been q question, it ia proper TO avoid all
oiharS