Food Tests In New York

Under the direction of the New York State Board of Health, eighty-four different kinds of baking powders, embracing all the brands that could be found for sale in the State, were submitted to examination and analysis by Prof. C. F. Chandlek, a member of the State Board and President of the New York City Board of Health, assisted by Prof. Edward G. Love, the well-known United States Government chemist. The official report shows that a large number of the powders examined were found to contain alum or lime ; many of them to such an extent as to render them seriously objectionable for use in the preparation of human food. Alum was found in twenty-nine samples. This drug is employed in bak ing powders to cheapen their cost. The presence of lime is attributed to the impure cream of tartar of cominerce used in their manufacture. Such cream of tartar was also analyzed and found to contain lime and other impurities ; in some samples to the extent of 93 per cent. of their entire weight. All the baking powders of the market.with the single exception of "Royal" (not including the alum and phosphate powders, which have not the virtue of even impure cream of tartar,) are made from the adutterated cream of tartar, of commerce, and consequently contain lime to a corresponding extent. The only baking powderyet found by chemical analysis to be entirely free from lime and absolutely pure, is the "Royal." This perfect purity results from the exclusive use of cream of tartar, specially refined and prepared by patent processes which totally remove the tartrate of lime and other impurities. The cost of this chemically pure cream of tartar is much greater than any other, and on account of this greater cost is used in no baking powder but the "Royal." Prof. Love, who made the analysis of baking powder for the New York State Board of Health, as weil as for the government, says of the purity and wholesomeness of the "Royal" : "I flnd the Royal Baking Powder composed of pure and wholesome ingredients. It is a cream of tartar powder of a high degree of merit, and does not contain either alum or phosphates or other injurious substance. E. G. Lovb, Ph. D." It is highly satisfactory to the housekeepers of this vicinity, where the Royal Baking Powder is in general use, that the investigations by the analysts in Massachusetts, New York and Ohio, the only states that hare thus far taken action upon this important subject, agree in classing it as the purest and most efficiënt baking powder in the market.