Red Lead Found in Gloucester Cheese
Poet involved
What happened
Frederick Accum's investigations revealed that red lead was used to give Gloucester cheese its characteristic 'healthy' red hue. This practice was one of many examples of toxic colorings being added to food to improve appearance. The use of lead in cheese posed serious health risks, as lead accumulates in the body and causes chronic poisoning.
Literary impact
The revelation that cheese was colored with lead shocked the public and was seized upon by satirists and social reformers. The image of 'red lead cheese' became a symbol of the hidden dangers of industrial food production. This theme appears in the works of writers like Charles Dickens, who often depicted the grotesque realities of urban life.
Source: Victorian Web
