Editing Alum (section)

=== Bread ===
In Britain alum has been used as a way of preserving [[flour]] and bleaching it. Bakers used small amounts to make the fine white [[manchet]] bread produced for the rich. In times of poor harvest, more alum was added. In 1758 the British government banned the use of alum in bread, although some bakers continued to use it and many people continued to demand white bread adulterated with alum.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Norman |first=Jill |date=2024 |title=The English Table - Our Food Through the Ages |location=London |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=978 1 78914 933 3 |publication-date=2024 |page=114 }}</ref>

During the 19th century, alum was used along with other substances like [[Plaster|plaster of Paris]] to adulterate certain food products, particularly bread. It was used to make lower-grade flour appear whiter, allowing the producers to spend less on whiter flour. Because it retains water, it would make the bread heavier, meaning that merchants could charge more for it in their shops. The amount of alum present in each loaf of bread could reach concentrations that would be toxic to humans and cause chronic [[Diarrhea|diarrhoea]], which could result in the death of young children.<ref>Phillips, Suzanne, director. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9gv5528JZQ ''The Hidden Killers of the Victorian Home'']. Sterling Documentaries, 27&nbsp;Jan. 2018. Accessed 9&nbsp;Oct. 2021.</ref>