FOOD INSPECTION. 



Chas. D. Woods, Director. 



J. M. BartlETT, Chemist in charge of inspection analysis. 



The law regulating the sale and analysis of foods, enacted by 

 the legislature of Maine in 1905, contemplates two things ; the 

 proper and truthful branding of all articles of food, and the 

 exclusion from the markets of deleterious food materials. The 

 law does not seek to prevent the sale of any article of whole- 

 some food, but in case a food material is other than it appears 

 to be, it " shall be plainly labeled, branded or tagged so as to 

 show the exact character thereof." Bulletin 135 of this Station 

 contains the full text of the law and food standards so far as 

 they have been fixed for Maine. Copies of this bulletin may be 

 had on application to the Station. 



Baking. Powde;rs. 



There are practically three classes of baking powders on the 

 market, differing chiefly in the source of the acid : — 



Tartrate powders, in which the acid is either cream of tartar 

 (by-tartrate of soda) or tartaric acid. 



Phosphate powders, in which calcium or sodium acid phos- 

 phate is the acid constituent. 



Alum powders, in which the acid constituent is the sulphate 

 of aluminum as it occurs in the various alums. 



There are of course many complex baking powders on the 

 market which are made up of mixtures of two or more of the 

 three classes above named. Of these mixtures, phosphate-alum 

 powders are the most common. Indeed, phosphate-alum pow- 

 ders are far more common than straight alum powders. 



Whether the acid principle be tartaric acid, calcium phosphate 

 or aluminum sulphate, there is always a residual product which 

 is undesirable as a food. Cream of tartar powders leave a 

 residue of Rochelle salt, the active principle of Seidlitz powders ; 

 tartaric acid powders leave a residue of sodium tartrate ; phos- 

 phate powders leave a residue of sodium and calcium phos- 

 phates ; and alum powders leave a residue of ammonium, potas- 

 sium or sodium sulphate, in accordance with the kind of alum 



