The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-05-18
DANGEROUS FOOD ADULTERA-
TON,
The Fraudulent use of Alum anc
Lime In Cheap Baking Powders.

The Fraudulent use of Alum and
Lime In Cheap Baking Powders.
If consumers prefer to buy an aduter
ated article of food because it can be had
at a lower price, they undoubtedly have
the right to do SO, provided the adul-
terants are not of character injurious
to health. If such articles are not false
lv sold as pure, and the customer is not
deceived as to their real character, the
transaction is not illigitimate.
But the great danger i'm the traffic in
adulterated food arises from the dccep-
ton that is practiced by manufacturers
usu lily CHASING 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 baking powders not only
fail to inform the public ofthe real char
acter of their goods, but carefully con-
ceal the fact that they are made from
these poisonous articles. Most of these
manufacturers also claim that their arti-
cles are pure and wholesome, while
some 60 still further and proclaim bold
ly 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 are detrimental to
health. The sale of lime and alum bak-
ing powders as pure and wholesome
articles is, therefore, criminal, and it is
sons 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 dis
honest 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 Il sugges-
tive fact that no baking powder except
the Royal has been found without either
lime or alum. and many contain both.
DIR. Prices baking powder has been
found to contain nearly II per cent. of
lime; Cleveland's ii per cent. of impur-
tiles; 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 a 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
effects; how much more serious must
these effects be on the delicate mem
oidhOo Vi tiC 6tohdSh, ihtCotluCS anu
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 painful diseases of the kidneys
now 80 prevalent.
Adulteration with lime is quite as
much to be dreaded as with alum, which
has heretofore received the most en-
phatic condemnation from food analysts,
physicians and chemists, for the reason
that while alum may be partially dis
solved by the heat of baking il is impos-
sible 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 manufacture
of lime and alum baking powders has
placed many of them in the market.
They are 10 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 those
are to be obtained of well-established
reputation, like the Royal, of whose
purity there has never been question,
it is proper to avoid all others.