Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-03-27
MISCELLANEOUS.
Dangerous Food AduIteration.
The Fsfa,Idailsn.' use Of Hum and
Lime in Cheap Bqkiag Po.eders.

a ~
IF consumers prefer to buy an
adulterated, article of food because it
+ car. be had at lower price they un-
|doubtedly have tie right TO do so,
provided the adulterants: are not of
a 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 adnlterated food arises from the
deception that. is practiced by manu-
facturers usually classing 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
poisonous articles. Most of these
manufacturers also claim that their
articles ARE pure z.and wholesome,
while some go, still further, and pro.
claim boldly that they are cream of
tartar, goods, or even the genuine
Royal Baking Powder itself. No
consumer viii buy alum bailfng pow
ders knowingly, for it is well under
stood that they are detrimental 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, persons engaged in such sale
have already been brought to justice
in the courts.
4 The official analysts have recently
heen active in the pursuit Of these
dishonest articles. The baking pow.
ders of several States have been care
fully and critically examined. The
officials are surprised at the large
amount of lime and alum goods
found. It's a suggestive fact that
no baking powder except the Royal
has been found without either lime
Tor alum, and many contain both.
DR.. Prices baking powder has been
found to contain nearly IL per cent.
of lime q CIeveiand's IL per cent. Of
impuritiess the phosphate powders
over IL per cent. of lime. '.ri..
The chief service of lime is. to add
weight. 1t is true that lime, when
subjected to heat, gives off certain
amount of carbonic acid gas, but a
quick-lime is left-a caustic of most
powerful nature A small quantity
of dry~fime 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 kid
neys, 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. p.
I 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 de-
stroy or change the nature of the
lime so that the entire amount in the
baking powder passes, with all ifs in
furious properties, into the stomach.
The large profits from the manu-
facture of lime and alum baking pow
Gers has placed many of them in the
market. They are to be found in
the stock of almost every retail deal
er. and are urged upon customers
calling for baking powders on all oc-
casions. Because of their well
known detrimental character it is de-
sirable that prompt means he taken
to suppress their manufacture.
Pure baking powders are one of
the chief aids to the cook in prepar-
ing 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 to
avoid all others.
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