The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-09
AGAINST ALUM POWDERS
STATE FOOD COMMISSION THINKS
THEM NOT HEAI.THFUL
While There Is Some Argument as
to Whether or Not the Alum Pow,
ders Are Deleterious or Not. the
Commission Insists That They He
Plainly Marked md the Pur
chaser Protected.

Assistant Dairy Commissioner Law
renee has just completed the revision
OF a list Of alum baking powders
which are offered for sale In this mar
ket. The list will be placed In the
hands of general store men and mer-
chants throughout the state, to pro-
tect the retail trade from imposition
by INSCRIPTIONS Eastern houses who
OFTEN sell the alum baking powder for a.
pure food article.
Inc Fist gives the total number of
brands Of the adulterated product sold
IN the Minnesota market as 400, Just
ten times as many as the pure cream
Of tartar baking powders This does
not, however, mean that there are ten
times more of the adufterated article
SOLO than the pure food package. as
the spurious powder Is offered for sale
under many different brands, while ths
composition of the standard phosphate.
cream OF tartar and tartrate powders,
Is confined to a few we'll known brands
known to every housewife
MT. Lawrence said yesterday that 1t
would be quite difficult to venture a
fair assertion as to which Of the bak-
ing powders enjoyed the largest sale.
The adulterated package was quite
popular, but 1T could safely be said that
- =" o~o opOul d SIduu OIL between the
pure food powder and the alum baking
powder.
The list which the dairy department
mas just completed will enable the
country merchant to know at all times
just what he is buying. If approached
by a representative Of q. manufacturing
concern which has not complied with
the state law by putting the proper
label on the wrapping of the package,
they can know Immediately by referring
to the little book just how the powders
or the concern In question are cIassed
after an examination by the state
chemist
While the law regulating the sale of
baking powder has not decreased the
consumption Of alum baking powders.
1t has. however, through the list sent
out by the state department for several
years regulated their sale and de-
creased the cost to the consumer Be
fore the law went into effect dealers
often had to pay from 80 to 81. so per
dozen for the standard size package of
a very inferior powder but with the
satisfactory results obtained through
regulation by state law, the merchant
at present only has to pay about $1.40
per dozen.
There are just forty pure baking
powders sold in Minnesota. Thirteen
Of these are made in this state. Five
VI diluS III 81 raul, three III H1nnedD-
Oils, and the rest scattered around the
state.
The difference in the price of the
alum and the pure powders is such
that large amount is saved to the
people Of the state by classifying bak-
ing powders, as hundreds of tons Of
the condiment are used annually.
There has been considerable discus
SIGN as to whether alum in baking pow
der Is injurious to the health. The con-
Germs which manufacture the alum
powder base an argument in the neg
alive on the ground that the heat of
the oven eXpels any injurious element
They also claim that the large amount
| of it sold is evidence of it's popularity
! with the consumer. The manufactur-
ers of the standard brands on the con-
| trary claim that the alum is injurious
| to health. There is a difference of
! opinion on this subject, and some ex-
| tended Investigations are being made
by eminent chemists of this country for
the purpose of determining which view
of the subject is correct.
The state dairy and food department
from the investigations which they
have been able to make are inclined
to the belief that the alum powder is
not conducive to public health
The great bulk of the alum powders
are manufactured in Chicago, New
York and other Eastern cities. There
are, however, a few made in Mime
sofa. The latter are OF rather better
quality than those shipped here.