New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-03-25
BAKING POWDERS ONCE MORE.
- Tho Effects of ANN onrs,r.lasD., cord inr. tn

Tho ELECTS of sAmmOnIa,r.4bcordi tc
the Scientific sAmsrican. +.
Many combinations Of chemicals have
been proposed and tried 1orr baking DOW.
ders but; general consensus Of house.
keepers, as well as OF scientific authorities,
has settled upon a mixture Of sodium bicar.
Donate baking soda) with potassium bitar-
trate Cream of tartar).
Were the above mixture Of chemicals al.
lowed to stand, it would soon deteriorate.
To prevent this it's mixed with an inert
substance which isolates to some extent the
particles of the mixture, SO as to- confer last
ing powers upon it. This substance is
usually -four or powdered, starch. and is
termed filling" Some filling is necessary.
About 10 per cent is the least that can be
used by the most careful MANI facturer, and
all over Is per cent should be considered
an adulterant, harmless, indeed but never
theless an imposition on the consumer.
Twenty-one baking powders are cited in
the United States department. of aericult-
| nre report on foods and food adulterants
Washington, 1889, as exceeding this
amount. The amount Of starch varies from
24.57 to 1923 per cent, which goes to show
how much starch is bought and paid for at
the price of baking powder. All but two
OF these contain ammonia or alum, or both
and are in the list Of powders given below
more important point however. is to
know what baking powders are adulterated
with alum or ammonia. as the. continued
use OF such powders, according to MANY
authorities, Injuries the health.
The use Of alum in baking powder has
been prohibited in. England, France and
Low, L..
passed in Minnesota requiring manu,ac-
tuTeIs using alum to publish. OH the label.
This baking powder contains alum, !" and
the Capadlan government report SAYS
page ~: ''The residue, LETT in the
Drexd a1er use OF an. al,uns powder are
and alumina. The last named is an earthv
substance quite insoluble: and there: ore in
digestible." page 3I.)J ''Alum is entirely
objectionable as a-.substitule tor cream of
tartar, and ought not to- be allowed a place
in any we'll appointed. bakery"
The insidious effects,o OF ammonia as an
adulterant in baking, powders are not SO
we'll known. but; Rartholow sums up the
evidence against ammonia as follows: THE
long continued. use OF ammonia in,pairs
digestion by neutralizing the gastric Juice
Increased waste of tissue. is also one result
OF its administration, manifested by pallor,
emaciation and 1eebleness." And the Pa.
chic Medical. Journal, commenting on the
cause Of. dyspepsia, says (pase 6s7):
This question regarding the effect u.
ammonia upon the human economy is one
upon which. authorities do not differ, and
the individual experience OF every physi-
clan Is In. accord. with the assertion of au-
thorltles. The. agent (ammonia) is drug
not tood;. an excrement, not nutriment.
The amount received by the system through
these means. while not great at any par
tlcular Time, and not sufficient to prove in
juriops, becomes both great and deleterious
by being continuous. Physicians owe it to-
their patients aud to the people generally
to inform themselves regarding this matter,
and without lear or favor unqualitiedlv
to condemn injurious preparations; and tha.
various boards OF health throughout the
state in dealing with the question of food
authorizations, would do'the people great
service to look well to the brands OF baking
powders containing ammonia and other in
curious ingredients" .
IN the face OF such testimony, quaptiAiss
OF ammonia are used, one COMPANY. it is
estimated, using every year in the manu-
tacture OF their baking powder two hundre d
and fifty thousand (25O, O0O) pounds, 1t is a
common right OF the people to knQ& what
food compounds contain. There. IS how
ever, no law to that effect at present, and
for the protection of the public; we have
compiled list of baking powders contain
ing ammonia and alum from five official
reports, viz: United States department of
agriculture, Bulletin No. IL; inland revenue
department, Canada, Bulletin No 10; Ohio
DAIRY ana 1ood commission. New jersey
dairy commission and the: Massachusetts
state board of health. 1t is a list VI rth
preserving. .,.....-.
AMMONIA AND ALUM BAgING POWDERS.
Compiled from official reports.) Powders
marked with star seem to have general
sale, as they are mentioned IN at least two.
of ftNno ffIo 81