Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1919-10-30
sELF.RIsINC ELouR
(From the Journal of the Florit
Medical Association

MSGlC6i k1SSOcfak1OUs
The recent inquiries on the part
Of many physicians and scientific
men all over the country in regard
to the food value and wholesomeness
Of self-rising flour have led to much
discussion among the members of the
medical fraternity in reference TO
this class of food.
There is no question but that self
rising flour should come under the
same laws as similar mixed products.
It should certainly be labeled so as
to show the ingredients of which it is
composed, and should also be labeled
'bleached" whenever bleached flour
is used. In this connection it is
known that all states prohibit the
use of bleached flour, and, as nine
tenths of the self-rising flour is made
of bleached flour and a cheap leav-
ening agent, prepared flour is GER
tainly in the majority Of cases as in
furious as bleached flour, one of the
ingredients of which it is composed.
A prominent authority, in a recent
article in the Chicago Daily News,
makes the following statement:
"Flour is bleached for no other
purpose than to conceal inferiority
by making it appear of better quality
than it is. Most sanitary codes pro-
vide against the staining, coloring,
coating or bleaching OF any food
for the purpose of concealing infer
iority. Under such provisions, it be-
comes an easy matter for the corpor-
alton counsel of any American city
to bring action against bleached flour
which is whitened through the treat
ment known as the Alsop process,
or by any other artificial process.
The Alsop process takes low-grade
flour and by the action of nitrogen
peroxide makes it resemble flour that
demands the higher market price.
Such whitened flour contains nitric
reacting material, the detection of
which is not difficult.
ct is true that the bleaching of
flour represents but single step in
the downward direction which the
manufacture of commercialized food
stuffs in the United States is con-
stantly taking. Not satisfied with
robbing the wheat of its most indis-
pensable mineral elements, nillers
have further debauched their indus
try by resorting to electrolytical
chemistry in their efforts to fool the
people.
''Bleached flour may have nothing
to do with infant mortality. It does,
however, have much to do with sham,
fraud, making believe, and as such it
must be treated"
It is evident, therefore, that the
flour base of many self-rising flours
is made of the cheapest grades, being
either bleached flour, and there is no
question either but that the leayen-
ing agent employed is in the majority
of cases the cheapest kind. For in
stance, the following is quoted from |
the New York Journal of Commerce,
in reporting the recent hearing of |
the joint committee on food stand
ards:
1T came out thas a great deal of |
sulphate of lime is used in cheap |
baking powder, especially so in self
rising flour-sometimes running as |
nigh as Is per cent. The matter was
brought forth that cheap grades of |
flour are used in such compounds"
In a recent article bearing on the !.
:anses Of pellasEHe ssIsi9 ne has dis-
covered that one source of this dis
Ease is the constant eating of sour
milk and soda biscuits. The reason
or this is that an excess of soda is
generally used, and the vitamines Of
he food are destroyed. It is the lack
+ vltamines that results in this dread
disease.
This is an argument why the house
wife should be encouraged to use
ure, plain flour and pure, whole
ONE baking powder which is per-
ectly manufactured, so that perfect
Capitalization takes place in the bak-
lg.
The better class of people in the
outh' recognize the fact that self
sing flour has little food value and
epresents little, if any, saving in
me. They, therefore, in the great
iajority of cases, use straight bak-
lg powder and flour; but it is
nong the more ignorant classes that
lie great consumption of prepared !
ours occurs. These people do not !
ave the means Of knowing the value /
the food they eat, and therefore \
icy are the greatest to suffer.
We believe the duty of educating
e people to food values lies with
e merchants of the state, and also
lth the physicians. The merchant
ecializes in foods. He knows
lality when he sees it. He should {
~ recommend, endorse and sell
cse foods which are guaranteed to
perfectly pure and wholesome.
lrthermore, laws prevently the sale
improper goods should be en-
ted.
Likewise the doctors of this state,
are of the fact that so many dis
nlsn Il q