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 can be found for sale in the state, were submitted to examination and analysis by Prof. C. P. Chandler, 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 liaie; many of them to sucti 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 baking powders to cheapen their cost. The presence of lime is attributed to the impure cream of tartar of commerce used in their manufacture. Such cream of tarter was also analyzed and found to contain lime and other impurities; in some samples to the extent of 93 per cent. of their entire weignt. All the baking powders of the market with single exception of ''Royal" (not including the alum and phosphate powders, which have not the virtue of even an impure cream of tartar,) are made from the adulterated cream of tartar of commerce, and consequently contain lime to a corresponding extent. The only baking powder yet found by chemical analysis to be entire ly f ree from lime and absolutely pure is the "Koyal." This perfect punty results from the exclusive use of cream of tar;ar specially refined and prepared by mtent processes whicü totally remove ;he tartrate of lime and other itnpuri;ies. The cost of this chemically pure cream of tartar is much greater than any other, and on account of this great cost is used in no baking powder but the "Royal." Prof. Love, who made the analysis of baking powders for the New York State Board of Health, as well as for the Government, says of the purity and wholesomeness of the "Royal": "I find the Royal Baking Powder composed of pure and wholesome ingreilienls. lt is a cream of tartar powder of a high degree of merit, and does notcontain eitheralum or phosphates or other injurious substance. E. Love, Ph. D. lt is highly satisfactory to the housekeepers of this vicinity, where the Royal Baking Powder is in general use, that the iuvestigations by analysts in Massachusetts, New York, and ühio, the only states that have thus far taken action upon this important subject, agiee in classing it as the purest and moste fflcteiit bakiug powder in the market.