The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-05-24
DANGEROUS FOOD ADULTERATTON
The Fraudulent use ofAlum and Lime in
Cheap Baking Powders.

Ifconsumers prefer to buy an adulter-
ated article of food because it can be had
at a lower price, they undoubtedly have
the right to do so, provided the adulter-
ants 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
adulterated food arises from the decep-
ton that is practiced by manufacturers
usually CHASING such goods as pure.
This is almost invariably done when the
adulterant is one that is injurious to
health. For intance, manufacturers
of alum and lime baking powders not on
ly 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 az
ticles 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 bak-
ing powder knowingly, for it is well un-
derstood that they are detrimental to
health. The sale Of lime and alum bak-
ing powders as pure and wholesome ar
ticles is, therefore criminal, and it is sat
isfactory 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. It is suggestive fact that no
baking powder except the Royal has
been found without either lime or alum,
and many contain both. DR.. Prices bak-
ing powder has been found to contain
nearly twelve per cent. of lime; Cleve-
lands eleven per cent. of impurities; the
phosphate powders over twelve per cent.
of lime.
The chief service of lime is to add
weight. It is true that lime, when sub
jected to heat, gives off certain amount
of carbonic acid gas, but quicklime is
left-a caustic of most powerful nature.
A small quantity of dry lime upon the
tongue or in the eye produces painful eff
fects; how much more serious must
these effects be.on the delicate membranes
of the stomach, .intestines and kidneys,
more particularly of infants and children,
and especially when the liners taken in
to the system day after day, and with
almost every meal. This is said by
physicians to be one of the causes of in
digestion, dyspepsia, and those painful
diseases of the kidneys now so prevalent.
Adulteration Within quite as much
to be dreaded as with alum, which has
heretofore received the most emphatic
condemnation from food analysts, ply
sicians and chemists, for the reason that
white 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 all its injurious
properties, into the stomach.
The large profits from the r1anufac-
ture of lime and alum baking 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
upon customers calling for baking pow
ders upon all occasions. Because of their
well known detrimental 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 per-
feet and wholesome food. While t1bsc
are to be obtained ofwell-e ablished rep
utation, like the Royal, of whose purity
there hasnever been aquestion, tits prop
er to avoid all others.