Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-07-09
Dangerous Food Adulteration.


Dangerous Food Adulteration.
THE FRAUDULENT USE OF ALUM AND LIME
IN CHEAP BAKING POWDERS.
If consumers prefer to buy an adul-
terated article of food because it can be
had at lower price, they undoubtedly
have the right to do SO, provided the
adulterants are not of a character injuri-
Gus 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 ilegitimate.
But the great danger in the traffic in
adulterated;food arises from the deception
that is practised by manufacturers us
ually CHASING such goods as pure. This
is almost invariably done when the adul-
terant is one that is injurious to health
For instance, manufacturers of alum and
lime baking powders not only fail to in-
form the public of the real character of
their goods, but carefully conceal the
fact that they are made from these pois-
onous articles. Most of these manu-
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 powder itself.
No consumer will buy alum powders
knowingly, for it is we'll understood that
| they are detrimental to health The sale
of lime and alum baking powders as
pure and wholesome articles is, therefore,
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 dishonest
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 IA suggestive fact
that no baking powder except the Royal
has been found without either lime or al
um, and many contain both DR.. Prices
baking powder mas been found to contain
nearly ~ per cent of lime ;Cleveland's III
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, sub
jected to heat, gives off certain amount
of carbonic acid gas, but Il quick-lime 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 men,
branes 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 pain
} full diseases of the kidneys now so preva-
: lent.
! Adulteration with lime is quite as much
to be dreaded as with alum, which has
heretofore received the most emphatic
condemnation from food ANALYSTS, ply
3 sicians and chemists, for the reason that
/ while alum may be partially dissolved
o 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 in
furious properties, into the stomach.
o The large profits from the manufacture
+ of lime and alum baking powders ha:
r placed many of them in the market
They are to be found in the stock of al
most every retail dealer, and are urget
upon customers calling for baking pow
dorc nnon all occasions Because of thei
# well-known detrimental character it /
s desirable that prompt means be taken t
f suppress their manufacture.
Pure baking powders are one of thu
- chief aids to the cook in preparing per
e feet and wholesome food. While thos
e are to be obtained of well-establishe'
reputation, like the Royal, or whose pu
N rity there has never been a question,
is proper to avoid all others.