The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-05-03
dangerous Food Adulteration
The Fraudulent Use Of Alum and
Lime i'm Cheap Baking Powders.

The Fraudulent Use Of Alum and
Lime i'm Cheap Baking Powders.
IF consumers prefer to buy an
adulterated article of ioOd be-
cause it can be had at lower
price, they undoubtedly have The
right TO do so, providing the adul-
terants are not of a character in
jnrious 10 health. If such aril
cles are not falsely sold as pure.
and the customer is not deceived
as 10 their real character, the
transaction is not illegiumate,
Bnt the great danger in the
traffic in adulterated food arises
from the deception that is prac-
ticed by manufacturers usually
CHASING such goods as pure. This
is almost lnvaribly done when
the adulterant is one that is in
junous TO health. For instance,
manufacturers of alum and lime
baking powders not only fail 10
inform 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
manufacturers also claim that
their articles are pure and whole
some, 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 ale 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 re-
Gently been active in lhe pursuit
of these dishonest articles. The
baking powders of several States
have been carefully and critical
dy examined. The officials are
surprised at the large amount of
lime and alum goods found. 1t
is a suggestive fact that no bak-
ing powder except the Royal has
been found without either lime
or alnm, and many contain both.
DIR. Prices baking powder has
been found to contain nearly -
per cent of lime; Cleveland's II
per cent of impurities; the phos.
,Bhate baking powders over II
per cent of lime.
The. chief service of lime is TO
add weight. tits true that lime,
when subjected to heat, gives
off certain amount of carbonic
acid gas, but a quick-lime is
1eft--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 delicate
membranes of the stomach, in
testines and Kidneys. more par
ticularly 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 indigestionl
dyspepsia, and those painful dis
eases of the kidneys now so pre-
Ealept.
Adulteration with lime is quite
as much TO be dreaded as with
alum, which has heretofore re-
eeived the most emphatic con-
demnation from food analysts,
physicians and chemists, 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 powder passes, with al,
its injurious properties, into the
stomach.
The large profits from the man
ufacture of lime and alum bak .
ing powders has placed many of
Them in the market. They are
TO be found in the stock of al
most every retail dealer. and are
urged upoE customers calling for
baking powder upon all occas-
ions. Because of their well
known detrimental character, it
is desirable that prompt means
be taken TO suppress their man.
ufacture.
Pure baking powders are one
of the chief aids 10 the cook i'll
preparing p erfect and wholesome
food. While those are TO be OBJ
tanned of we'll established repu-
fation, like the Royal, of whose
purity there has never been a
question, it is proper to avoid all
Others.
A Iecent calculation of the val
ue of timber standing i'll West
Virginia places the amount at
$50, 100000.