Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-06-27
CHAPTER 76

The Bread Inquiry of the Attorney
and March, 1915, Brought Forth the
Extraordinary Admission of the Larg-
est Baking Concern in America to the
Eject That All White Bread, Unless
It Contains a Certain Added Patented
Powder, Is Worthless-The Investiga-
ton of the State Resulted I'm the Re
ducton of the 6-Cent Loaf of White
Bread to Cents, but II Did Not Sue
ceed in Restoring to the Devitalized
Scent Loaf the Priceless Elements
Which All Bread Should Contain.
The manner in which the staff of
life can be manipulated at will for
commercial purposes, not alone
through the withdrawal of elementary
substances necessary to normal nutri-
ton but through the addition of sub
stances not found in any natural food,
indicates the necessity of establishing
an official definition of the word
bread" together with means of con-
trolling its Integrity.
In February and March, 1915, much
interest was aroused concerning the
use CT plaster of Paris" in the pro-
duction Of the bread made by one of
the largest bakers in the United
States.
Considerable light was shed upon
the secret use of a mineral mixture
in the making of bread in Boston,
New York and other American cities,
when Referee Nussbaum, at the in
quiry of New York State into an al
legged conspiracy to increase the price
of bread from Ave to six cents a loaf,
on the ground that war prices made
bread ingredients higher, probed into
the secrets of wholesale bakers.
Prior to taking of testimony in
the bread case, at the Office of Deputy
Attorney General Alfred L. Becker,
2s9 Broadway, New York City. In
spector James o. Jordan of the Boston
Board of Health made a report to
Mayor Curley, in which he asserted
that bakeries in New York and
Massachusetts were making bread
which contained calcium sulphate
otherwise known as gypsum or plaster
of Paris" materials used in making
plaster casts.
When questioned concerning the
truth of Inspector Jordan's report the
e-president of the Ward Baking
Company, one of the largest baking
concerns of the world, admitted at the
states hearing that such a product
was in use, that it had been employed
for three years prior to the date of
the states investigation, and that it
had been patented.
He justified its use on the ground
his dough before excessive fermenta-
ton took place.
Excessive fermentation" he said,
lis destructive of practically all food
values in the ingredients used in mod
ern baking" He argued, therefore,
that the only bread which retains any
food value is the bread that contains
this patented powder, for the reason
that prior to its discovery all bakers
bread was worthless because of the
destruction of practically all of its
food value.
OF course, such conclusions cannot
be true, however sincere the men who
arrive at them. We have examined
the evidence that shows white bread
is not a bone-builder.
We have examined the evidence
that proves pigeons fed on white bread
such a mixture we know, notwith-
bones even to the extent of perforation
of the skull.
We know that Volt established this
fact as long ago as 1882.
According to the report of the Bos-
ton Board of Health on the compost
ton of this plaster of paris" powder
the samples examined contained cal
cium sulphate, "a parts; sodium chlo-
ride, 24.90 parts; ammonium Chloride,
11.5O parts; starch. 80 parts.
Regardless of the functions per-
formed in the leavening of bread by