, 1891-11-14
OFFICIAL FOOD TESTS.
The United States and Canadian
Governments AnaIyze the
Baking Powders.
Comparative Strength and Purity
of the Different Brands OFF,
clally Determined.
Prof. Haines, Consulting Chemist
ofthe Chicago Board of Health,
Gives His OPINION.
From Chicago Tribune.


g~estiens about the food it eats. Great in
terest has been taken in the investiga-
tons made by the United States aud
Canadian governments and by the differ
ent boards of health to show the purity
or Impurity of milk, baking powders,
spices, and other articles OF daily use 10
the culinary departments OF our house
holds.
just nov 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
~pvisJS1ae baking powder. There can be
no longer any question that all the cheaper
and lower grades Of baking power contain
either alum, lime or phosphate acid.
The official analysis by the United
States 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 bak-
ing powder was found the highest in
leavcning strength, evolving 1906 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 investi-
cations we're of a still larger number of
powders. The Royal baking powder was
here also shown the purest and highest in
strength, containing l29. 80 cubic inches
of leavening gas per ounce OF powder.
Nine other cream of tartar powders we're
tested, their average strength being re-
ported to be SO cubic inches OF gas per
ounce.
These figures are very instructive to the
practical housekeeper. They indicate
that the Royal baking powder goes more
than 80 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.
The powders of lower strength are
found to leave large amounts of inert
matters in the food. This fact is enpha-
sized by the report of the Ohio state food
commissioner, who, while finding the
Royal practically pure, found no other
powder to contain less than 10 per cent OF
inert or foreign matters.
The public interest in this question has
likewise caused to be made Investigations
by our local authorities. Prof. w. S.
Haines OF Rush Medical college, consult
ing chemist of the Chicago board of
health, has found results similar to hose
reported by the national and Canadian
authorities. DR.. Haines says:
RUSH MEDICAL COLLEGE, Chicago,
III. IL have recently obtained samples of
the chief baking powders in the market,
and rave subjected them to careful chem
ical examination to determine their
purity, wholesomeness and leavening
power. AS the result OF my tests i find
the Royal baking powder superior to all
others in every respect. 1t is entirely
free from all adulteration and unwhole-
some purity, and in baking it gives off a
greater volume of leavening gas than any
other powder. 1t is, therefore, not only
the puIest. but also the strongest powder
with which l 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
powder-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 indispensableness to modern
cookery.