Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-01-14
OFFICIAL FOOD TESTS.
The United States and Canadian Governments Ana
lyze the Baking Powders.
Comparative Strength and Purity OF the
Different Brands Officially Determined
Prof. Haines, Consulting Chemist of the
Chicago Board OF Health, Gives His
Opinion.
From Cnicano 7rtbuns.


The public is always responsive to
suggestions about the food IL eats.
Great interest has been taken in the in
vestigations made by the United States
and Canadian governments and by the
different boards OF health TO show the
purity or impurity Of milk, baking pow
ders, spices and other articles OF daily
use in the culinary departments of our
households.
just now the subject of baking pow
der 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 ell 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 powder, that contain
alum.
The report shows that the Royal
Baking Powder was found the highest
in leavening 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 1l5.5 cubic
inches of gas per ounce Of powder.
The Canadian government investiga-
tions were of still larger number Of
powders. The Royal baking powder
was here also shown 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 SO cubic
inches Of gas per ounce.
These figures are uery instructive to
the practical housekeeper. They indi-
cate 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 populor
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
whole some food.
The powders OF lower strength are
found to leave large amounts OF inert
matters in the food. This fact is en-
phasized 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 inyesti-
cations by our local authorities. Prof.
w. S. Haines, of Rush Medical College,
Consulting Chemist OF the Chicago
Board of Health, has found results sim
liar to those reported by the national
and Canadian authorities. DR.. HaineS
says:
RUSH MEDICAL COLLEGE, CHICAGO, III.
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 leaven-
ing power. As the result OF my tests l
find the Royal baking powder superior
to all the others in every respect. 1t Is
entirely free from all adulteration and
unwholesome impurity, and in baking
it gives off greater volume Of leaven-
ing gas than any other powder. 1t is,
therefore, not only the purest, but also
the strongest powder with which l am
acquainted.
WALTER S. HAINEs, M. d.
Consulting Chemist, Chicago Board Of
Health.