Alum Baking Powders

ALUM BAKING POWDERS. Declared Adulterated Food and their Sale Illegal. The result of a trial just concluded at Canton, N.Y., before Judge Kellogg, will have a salutary effect in checking the sale of one class of adulterated food. Two men, named Moon and Arkerill, were arrested for selling adulterated baking powder in violation of the State food adulteration act. The indictment was for both selling baking powders that were inferior, adulterated ad injurious to health by reason of being made from alum, and for selling them under pretense that they were a wholesome, cream of tartar baking powder. A stubborn defence was made, the claim being set up that the powder the defendants were selling, which was sold as Gillett's was a standard article of trade, and that alum baking powders inferior to it, like Davis' and others, were being sold by other dealers in the same town without complaint. The court held that baking powders were articles of food within the meaning of the law. and the jury found the defendants guilty upon all the charges. The case has attracted much attention from being the first brought under the State Food Adulteration Act against dealers in alum baking powders. The result of the trial is to class such baking powders as adulterated articles of food and to make their sale illegal. There are many alum baking powders put up in cans, under some name or brand, in addition to those sold in bulk, the sale of all of which cautious dealers will probably unwilling to continue.