The record-union., 1891-11-13
OFFICIAL FOOD TESTS.
The United States and Canadian Governments
Analyze the Baking Powders.
Comparative Strength and Purity of the Dif.
ferent Brands Officially Determined.
Professor Haines, Consulting Chemist
OF the Chicago Board of Health,
Gives His Opinion.
From Chicago Tribune.l


The public is always responsive to sug-
gestions about the food it eats. Great in
terest has been taken in ADMINISTRATIONS
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, spices, and
other articles of daily use in the culinary
department of our households.
Just now the subject of baking powder
is claiming public attention. We all de-
sire pure and wholesome bread and this
cannot be had with the use Of impure or
poisonous baking powder. There can no
longer be any question that all the
cheaper, lower grades of baking powders
contain either alum, lime Or phosphate
acid.
The official analyses by the United
States and Canadian Governments have
therefore been studied with interest and
have pretty 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 of tartar
baking powders, that contain alum.
| The report shows that the Royal baking
powder was found the highest in leaven-
| ing strength, evolving 1906 cubic inches
of gas per single ounce of powder. There
were eight other brands Of cream of tartar
! powder tested, and their average strength
was Ills cubic inches of gas per ounce OF
powder.
The Canadian Government investiga-
tions were of a still larger number of pow
ders. The Royal baking powder was
| here also shone the pureSt and high
est in strength, containing 1892 cubic
inches of leavening gas per ounce of
| powder. Nine other cream of tartar
| powders were tested, their average
strength being reported to be 50 cubic
inches of gas per ounce.
| These figures are very instructive to the
| practical housekeeper. They indicate
that the Royal baking powder goes more
more than 80 per cent. further in use than
the others, or is one-third more econom-
ical. Still more important than this how
ever, 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 con-
sequently that by its use we may be in
| sured the purest and most wholesome
| food.
The powders of lower strength are
| found to leave large amounts OF inert
matters in the food. This fact is empha-
sized by the report of the Ohio State Food
| Commissioner, who, while finding the
| Royal practically pure, found no other
/ .
of inert or foreign matters.
| The public interest in this question has
| likewise caused to be made investiga-
! tions by our local authorities. Prof. w.
S. Haines, of Rush Medical College, con-
! sulting chemist of the Chicago Board OF
! Health, has found results similar to those
| reported by the national and Canadian
authorities. DR.. Haines says:
| RUSH MEDICAL COLLEGE, Chicago, Ill.
| have recently obtained samples of the
chief baking powders in the market, and
| have subjected them to careful chemical
examination to determine their purity
wholesomeness and leavening power. AS
the result of my tests / find the Royal
| baking powder superior to all the others
in every respect 1t is entirely free from
all adulteration and unwholesome inn
purity, 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 strongest
powder with which | am acquainted.
WALTER S. HAINEs, NJ. D.,
Consulting Chemist, Chicago Board of
| Health.
The statistics show that there is used in
the manufacture of the Royal baking
powder more than half of all the cream
of tartar consumed in the United States
! for all purposes. The wonderful sale
thus indicated for the Royal baking pow
| der-greater than that of all other baking
powders combined-is perhaps even a
! higher evidence than that already quoted
of the superiority of this article, and of
| its Observation-Disclosures to mOdnrD opolyarv