The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-06-14
Dangerous Food Adulteration.

TIE FRN DIi.ENr USE OF ALUM AND LIME IN
CHEAP BAKING; POW pERS.
II consumers prefer to buy an aduIterated
article of TO cd because it can be had at "A lower
price, they undoubtedly have the right to do 50.
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
deceived As to their real character. the trans
action is not icgitimate.
But the great danger in the traffic in aduter-
atcd food arises from the deception that is
practi>ed by manufacturers usual chasing
such goods as pure. This is almost Invariably
done when the adulterant is one that is iniuri-
Gus 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 arti-
cic> are pure and wholesome. while some 90
still further and proclaim boldly that they are
cream Of tartar goods, or even the genuine
Royal Baking Powder itself. No customer
will buy alum baking powders knowingly, for
it is well understood that they are detrimental
to health, The sale of lime and alum baking
powders as pure and wholesome articles i.
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 act
| i've in the pursuit of these dishonest articles.
The baking powders of Scvera1 States have
| been carefully and critically examined. The
officials are surprised at the large amount Of
| lime and alum goods found. 1t is Il suggestive
fact that no baking powder except the Royal
has been found without either lime or alum.
and many contain both. DIR. Prices bakin"
powder has been found to contain nearly T.
| per cent of lime; Cleycland's II 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 a certain amount of carbonic acid gas,
but Quick-limc is left-a cal,stic of most pow
| erfu nature. A small quantity of dry lime up
on the tongue, or in the eye, produces painful
effects: how much more serious must these eff
fects be on the delicate membranes of the
stomach. intestines and kidneys, more particu-
| larly of infants and children, and especially
when the lime is taken into the system day
| after day, with almost every meal. This is said
| by physicians to be one of the causes of indi-
gestion, dyspepsia. and those painful diseases
of the kidneys now SO prevalent.
Adultcration with lime is quite as much to
be dreaded as with alum, which has heretofore
| received the most empathic condemnation from
| food analysts, physicians and chemists. for the
reason that while alum may be partially dissoI-
| we'd 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, WIN all LIS 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 customers calling for baking
| powders upon all occasions. Because Of their
we-knOwn detrimental character il 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 whole
some food. While those are TO be obtained Of
well-establshed reputation, like the ROYAL, Of
whose purity there has never been question,
] It Is proper to avoid all others.