Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-03-28
Dangerous Food Adulteration.
THE FRAUDULENT USE OF ALUM AND LIME ]
CHEAP BAKING POWDERS.

| THE FRAUDULENT USE OF ALUM AND LIME IN
! CHEAP BAKING POWDERS.
If consumers prefer to buy an adulterateo
article OF food because it can be had at lower
price they undoubtedly have right to do So
provided the adulterants are not of character
injurious to health. If such articles are not
falsely sold as pure and the customer is not
deceived as to cir real character, the trans
action is not Legitimate.
But the great danger in the traffic in adul-
| terated food arises from the deception that is
practiced by the manufacturers usually class
| ing such goods as pure. This is almost 1nva-
riably done when the adulterant is one that Is
| injurious to health. For instance. manufac-
| turers of alum and lime baking-powders not
| only fail to inform the public of the real char
acter 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 also 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
baking powders knowingly, for 1t is well I'M
derstood that they are 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 al
ready been brought to Justice in the courts.
The official analysts have recently been &C.
tive in the pursuit of these dishonest articles.
Thebaking 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
powder has been found to contain nearly II
per cent OF lime; Cleyelands II per cent. of i'm
puritits; the phosphate powders over IL per
cent. of lime
The chief service Of lime is to add weight. 1t
is true that lime, when subjected to heat, gives
off certain amount of carbonic acid gas, but
quick-lime is left-a caustic of most powerful |
nature. A small !qu antity OF dry lime upon
the tongue or in the eye, produces painful eff
fects; how much more serious must these ef-
fects be on the delicate membranes of the
stomach, intestines and kidneys, more partic |
ularly 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 dis
eases of the kidneys now SO prevalent.
AOulL6ratlOD Will llIuo is quite as uucQ W
be dreaded as with alum which Has heretofore
received the most emphatic condemnation
from food analysts, physicians and chemists,
for the re sson that, while alum may be par
TALLY dissolved by the heat of baking it is i'm
possible to destroy or change the nature of the
lime so that the entire amount in the baking
powder passes. with all its Injurious proper.
ties 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 deal
er, and are urged upon customers calling for
baking powders upon sll occasions. Because
of their well known detrimental character 1t
is desirable that prompt means be taken to
suppress their manufacture.
Pure baking powders sre one of the chief
aids to the cook in preparing perfect and
wholesome food. While those are to he OBJ
aimed of well-establisned reputation, like the
Royal, of whose purity there has never been a
question, it is proper to avoid all others.