Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-06-01
THE HOUSEHOLD.



THE FRAUDULENT USE ur ,LrM AND LIME
rs CHEAP BAKING POWDERS
II consumers prefer to buy an adulterated
article Of food because it can be had at a
lower price. they undoubtedly have the right
IN do So, provided the adulterants are not Of
a character injurious 10 health II such
articles are not falsely sold a. pure, and the
customer is not deceived a. TO their real
character the transaction is not illegitimate.
But the great danger in the traffic IN adul
terated food arises from the deception that
is practised by manufacturers usually class
ing such goods as pure This is almost in
variably done When the adulterant is one
that is injurious 10 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 poisonous articles. Most
of these manufacturers also claim that their
articles 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 it.
self No consumer will buy alum baking
powders knowingly, for 1t is well under
stood that they are detrimental to health.
The sale Of lime and alum baking powders
as pure and wholesome articles is. there
fore, criminal, and it is satisfactory to no
tice 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 arti-
Giles. 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 a suggestive fact that no baking powder
except the Royal has been found without
either lime or alum, and many contain both
DR. Prices baking power has been found 10
contain nearly - per cent of lime Cleve-
lands, II per cent Of impurities the phos-
/ phate powders over 10 per cent of lime.
/ The chief service of lime is to add weight.
/ IL is true that lime, when subjected ~ heat,
/ gives off a certain amount of carbonic acid
| gas but "a quick lime is left-a caustic of a
most powerful nature. A small quantity Of
/ dry lime upon the tongue. or i'll the eve,
! produces painful effects how much more
serious must these effects be on the
] delicate membranes Of the stomach, mites
tines and kidneys, more particularly of in
/ fants 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 he one OF the causes OF IN
digestion, dyspepsia, and those painful dis
eases Of the kidneys now so prevalent
Adulteraton with lime is quite as much
TO be dreaded as with alum, which has here
tofore received the most emphatic condem
nation from food analysts, physicians anC
chemists for the reason that while alum
may be partially dissolved by the heat o
baking, it is impossible to destroy or chang,
the nature Of the lime, so that the entir,
amount in the baking powder passes, witt
all its injurious properties, into the stomach
The large profits from the manufactur,
of lime and alum baking powders has place,
many Of them in the market. They are I.
be found in the stock of almost every retai
dealer, and are urged upon customers call
ing for baking powders upon all occasions
Because Of their well-known detrimental
character it is desirable that prompt mean
be taken to suppress their manufacture
Pure baking powders are one of the chic
aids to the cook in preparing perfect an
wholesome food While those are to be oh
tanned of well-established reputation, lik
the Royal. Of whose purity there has neve
been question, it is proper 10 avoid a
others