Baking Powders

The Ohio State Dairy and Food Commissiou, under the direction of the Legislature of that State, has made public the result of its recent official examination of the baking powders of the market. As man y of the brands analyzed are in use throughout the country, the report of the Commission will be found of general interest. The startling fact is brought out by the report that of the thirty difieren brands of baking powder analyzed twenty are made frorn aluin, a subs tance declared by the highest medica authonties to be injurious to healtl when used in food. The Commission classify the baking powders into three general divisions accordins: to tlieir value: lst. Cream of Tartur Baking Pow ders; 2d. Phosphate Baking Powders: Hd. Aluui Baking Powders. The Commission explams that tlie best baking poyvder is that whicli, the ingrediënt being healthful, gives oL the largest amount of leavening gas and leaves the smallest amount of resi duum in the bread. A small amout of carbonate of ammonia, which is considered healthful, is used in some of the cream of tarter powders lo give them ahigher strength. The Comraission says that alum is undoubtedly a hurtful aalt. The report ranKs the powders and shows the amount iti eacl of inert resultauts, which in using it would appear as residuum in the bread a follows: i The large amount of inert matter o residu um in both the phosphate an( aluni powders will be noted. ïhis ia th phosphate powders is largely of lime in the alum powders it is chiefly alum It will be gralifying to the public t observe thatthe powders in most genet al use, the Royal, is also the purest. h comparing the first two powders on the list, tor instanee- the Royal and Dr. Price' - the inert matter in Pnce1 is seen to be about five in seyen more than in the forrwer. a difference o 71-37 per cent., the Royal being pure than Price's by a correspondiog figure The carbonic or leavening gas pro duced by the powders indicates thei strength; and tiieir true value may be ascertained by considering the amoun of this gas in connection with thei inert matter or residuum as showr above. The higher the percentage o gas and the lower the percentage ot residuum the better the baking powder These percentages, as found in some oi the most familiar powders, are given as follows: With the foreífoing explanation the study of these figures will readily give the consumers a knowledge of the comparative value of the different branda. To illustrate with tlie percentages given the two powders before compared: the Itoyal containing 11.8 paits of leavening gas to 10.5 in l'rice'ii its excess of strength is 1.3 in 10.5, or 1.4 per cent. Hoyal is therefore 12 4 per cent stronger, as well ai 71 per cent. purer than Price's. etc. The relative strengtli and purity of all the powders can be computed in like mauner.