Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-12-31
Official Food Tests.
The United States and Cana
dian Governments Analyze
the baking Powders.
Comparative Strength and Purity Of
the Different Brands Officially
Determined.
Prof. Halnes, Consulting Chemist
of the Chicago Board of
Health Gives His
Opinion.

Opinion.
From Chicago Frlbp ne
The public is always responsible
to suggestions ABOUT the food it eats.
Great interest has been taken in the
investigations made by the United
States and Canadian governments
and by the different boards of health
to show the purity or impurity Of
milk, baking powders, spice, and
other articles of daily use in the
culinary department of our house
holds.
Just now the subject Of baking
powder is claiming public attention.
We all desire pure and wholesome
bread and this cannot be had with
the use of impure or poisonous
baking powder. There can be no
longer any question that all the
cheaper lower grades of baking
powders contain either alum, lime
or phosphate acid. g..
The official analyses bv the
United States and Canadian gov
ernments have therefore been
studied with interest and have
clearly established the facts upon
this subject. The United States
government report gives the names
Of eighteen well-known powders,
some of them advertised as pure
cream oftartar baking powders, that
contain alum.
The report shows that the Royal
baking powder was found the high
est in leavening strength, evolving
1905 cubic inches of gas per single
ounce of powder. There were eight
other brands of cream of tartar
powders tested and their average
strength was Ills cubic inches of
gas per ounce Of powder.
The Canadian government invest
igations were of still larger num-
ber of powders. The Royal baking
powder was here also shown the
purest and highest in strength, con-
tanning l29.42 cubic inches Of Ieay-
ening gas per ounce OF powder.
Nine other cream of tartar powders
were tested, their average strength
being reported to be so cubic inches
OF gas per ounce.
These figures are very il structive
to the practical house-keeper. They
indicate that the Royal baking
powder goes more than 33 per cent.
further in use than the others, or is
one-third more economical. Still
more important than this, however.
they prove this popular article has
been brought to the highest degree
of purity-for to its superlative
purity this superiority in strength is
due-and consequently that by its
use we may be insured the purest
and most wholesome food. I
The powders of lower strength are
found to leave large amounts of
inert matters in the food. This
fact is emphasized by the report of
the Ohio State Food Commissioner
who, while finding the Royal practi-
cally pure, found no other powder to
contain less than 10 per cent of
inert or foreign matters.
The public interest in this ques-.
tion has likewise caused to be made
Investigations by our local authori-
ties Prof. w. S. Haines, of Rush
Medical College, consulting chem
ist of the Chicago Board of Realth,
has found results similar to those
reported by the national and Cana
dian authorities. DR.. Haines says:
RUSH MEDICAL COLLEGE, CHICAGO
I'LL have recently obtained
samples of the chief baking powders
in the market, and have subjected
them to careful chemical examina-
ton to determine their purity,
whole someness and leavning
power. As the result OF nv tests /
find the Royal baking powder super
ior to all the Others in every respect.
1t is entirely free from all adultera-
ton and unwholesome impurity,
and in baking it gives off a greater
volume of leavening gas than any
other powder. 1t is, therefore, not
only the purest. but also the strong
est powder with which | am ac-
quainted.
WALTER S. HAINEs, III. D.,
Consulting Chemist, Chicago Board
of Health.
The statistics show that there is
used in the manufacture of tie
Royal baking powder more than
half of all the cream of tartar con-
sumed in the United States for all
purposes. The wonderful sale thus
indicated for the Royal baking
powder-gieater than that of ali
other baking powders combined-is
perhaps even higher evidence than
that already quoted of the superior
ity of this article, and of its indis- |
pensableness to modern cookery.
Dr. Dunbar.
Mexico Daily Inteliigencer.
DR.. J. E. Dunbar, the noted eye, ear