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FDA warns the glittter on holiday treats may not be sweet to eat

Bakers do their best to make their treats enticing, with colorful frosting, creative design and even glitter. But the Food and Drug Administration warns that all that glitters is not edible.
Credit: JEWEL SAMAD
Ritz-Carlton hotel executive pastry chef Daniel Mangione makes 18 carat Sapphire cupcakes in Washington.

It's the season for sweets, from gingerbread cookies and cupcakes to that unfairly maligned treat -- fruitcake.

Bakers do their best to make their wares enticing, with colorful frosting, creative design and even glitter. But the Food and Drug Administration warns that all that glitters is not edible.

The agency has issued a warning that glitter and dusting used on baked goods may continue materials that should not be eaten.

The FDA says this is how you can tell whether the glitter or dusting is safe to eat:

  • Carefully check the label of any decorative product you’re considering for use in foods. Companies that make edible glitters and dusts are required by law to include a list of ingredients on the label.
  • Common ingredients in edible glitter or dust include sugar, acacia (gum arabic), maltodextrin, cornstarch, and color additives specifically approved for food use, including mica-based pearlescent pigments and FD&C colors such as FD&C Blue No. 1.
  • Most edible glitters and dusts also state “edible” on the label. If the label simply says “non-toxic” or “for decorative purposes only” and does not include an ingredients list, you should not use the product directly on foods.
  • If you choose to decorate a food item with decorations that are not edible, be sure to remove the decorations before serving and eating the food.

The agency also recommends customers talk to their bakery to make sure the decorative products they use are edible.

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