Is disco dust edible? - Page 2

that's crazy cause the lady also covered a bunny in luster dust. and i never thought of mixing the dusts to get custom colors...GENIUS!!! thanks for the tip!!!

I was viewing wedding cakes online. I saw one cake that was totally covered in silver glitter and wondered what they had used, since I knew many glitters were "non-edible". I wrote to the bakery and asked what they used and got the reply that they used a non-toxic glitter called Disco Dust. I was very surprised that they did not know it is considered "non-edible".

The only issue I have with this topic is that it seems to matter what country you're living in when determining way ether something's "edible". From the Sugarcraft website, on their page selling disco dust, luster dusts and petal dusts:

"Although these items are classified as "edible" in Europe, in the United States they are classed as "NON-TOXIC FOR DECORATION ONLY" AND NOT considered edible. Buy at your own discretion. Sugarcraft presumes no responsibility for use on food, nor will any refund be issued."

It's the same product but Britain's health department deems it safe to eat. (And, by the way, their health system is ranks higher than the US's so it's not like the professionals evaluating these items are somehow less qualified than those working at the FDA.) It doesn't change the fact that disco dust is made of very fine particles of plastic but it certainly makes me reexamine my perspective. I'd have to disagree about craft glitter being exactly the same thing as disco dust though. At least disco dust is presumably made in a food-safe factory, unlike scrapbooking glitter Same goes for all those other items that we find in the baking aisle that are cheaper in the scrapbooking, woodworking or flower arranging aisles (dowels, wires, etc). Some of those things can be washed so it may not be as big a deal but you'd have a hard time washing glitter. Not to get preachy. I just like to look at things from all angles.

If you eat a small amount of the stuff nothing will happen becauae its non- toxic. It is the same as if a kid eats a crayons, and lets faced it kids are very curious and sometimes they do this, nothing happens to them thats why they make kids crayons non-toxic because they will probably want to give it a taste. Your not going to eat the whole bottle but if you dust a cake and eat it in a small amount its ok

Probably not in the whole Europe. In Switzerland they are considered non-edible, non-toxic, for decorative use only.

Just for an on topic laugh, once when changing my daughter's diaper the day after a birthday party I foun bunches of glitter in there. It was definitely the non-edible craft kind. And she's just fine.

So, if you disco dust a few flowers to make them "jazzy" (lol!), that is ok as long as they are removed? I bought some disco dust to add some girly sparkle to flowers for my daughters cake, but I always remove those sort of things before serving. Would that be safe?

Since it's NOT a food product, there is absolutely NO good reason to make this ASSUMPTION.

From what I have seen, as a result of knowing several people who re-package "disco dust" for re-sale in smaller quantities, there is nothing "special" about the way the glitter is made. It's bought in bulk from the same suppliers who supply craft companies.

Some of the glitters contain metals as well as plastics. YUCK!

Just because you've used it and "nothing bad has happened" doesn't mean it's something that should be used on an edible.

Those small particles can wreak havoc with anyone who has digestive isssues like Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, etc.

Since a layman would think that what's on food is OK to eat, it could be disastrous should they consume some of this crap.

I don't have plastic or metal on my ingredient lists, so I won't use it--OR EAT IT.

Rae

Of all the disgusting things that are perfectly allowed in food manufacturing...such as the acceptable amount of insect particles in chocolate...I think all the to-do about disco dust is overrated.

I wouldn't recommend eating it by the spoonfuls, but then, I wouldn't eat food coloring by the spoonful either. A small amount adds shine and bling to cakes and it hasn't affected my IBS one bit! It's not like people are going to eat it everyday in the huge quantities it would take to make someone sick. And it's usually sprinkled on decor that doesn't even get eaten!

I'm glad that it doesn't affect your IBS--but we don't all respond in exactly the same way to things, either.

No one knows what quantity could harm someone, as it hasn't been tested or regulated by a food monitoring agency.

If it were ONLY "usually sprinkled on decor that doesn't even get eaten", we wouldn't have to talk about it at all. It would mean that people were using it responsibly--but THEY'RE NOT.

I've seen it sprinkled--heavily--all over cookies & cake surfaces.

I see people asking about sprinkling it liberally all over buttercream surfaces for a really "blingy" look and when sanding sugar is suggested as an edible option, they balk at the texture--yet they seem perfectly happy to cover it in plastic craft glitter?????????????????

No, there's no problem putting on non-edibles and something to be removed before serving. I never said that there was a problem using it properly.

Rae

All I know is that when I tell brides that it's plastic glitter, they don't want it anymore, and they're horrified that people would put it on cake that's going to be eaten. I wouldn't put it on anything that's going to be eaten, and if I did use it on flowers or something I'd tell the client not to eat the gumpaste pieces that it was on. I use the Crystal Colors too, and their luster dusts are nice and shiiiiiiny.

You know, that's "the thing"---when you tell the layman what it really IS, they're horrified.

The looks on their faces is priceless--sort of like you just told them that it had come from the gut of a lab rat.
After a pregnant pause, they invariably say, "Really--are you serious? I'm so glad you told me. No, I don't want THAT on my cake!!! What else can you use to get a nice sparkle???"

They don't want to eat it and they're incredulous that anyone would put it on FOOD.

I love the FDA approved Crystal Colors. You can't beat the versatility of them and they do the job so well. The pearls mixed with edible (gum arabic) sparkles and/or sanding sugar makes a nice product that can be eaten.

Rae

I'm not saying I feed this to people--didn't intend to stir up a maelstrom. It seems there was an assumption that I put it on parts of my cake that are eaten when I was just pointing out something I found to be interesting on a decorating supply website. My point was that that there are different guidelines in different countries, which makes it seem a little less black and white. I haven't actually been able to find out what Canada's recommendations are. Beig a doctor, i'm actually pretty familiar with intestinal disorders. I just like getting as much information about things as possible, regardless of what my ultimate decision and practice is. Lifelong learning and all that. And all I was trying to say about craft glitter is that I wouldn't put that on baking regardless of whether it's eaten or not...sorry if I stepped on anyone's toes...or colon!

I,d mainly tell the client not to eat the g/p flowers, so they wouldn,t break their teeth. lol!!! Who could possibly eat those things.

Nothing stepped on...........just passion ignited on my part.

I don't feel that this product has any place in baking and I wish that I could find the idiot who got the idea to put it on food in the first place.........but then I might end up in jail so it's prpbably all for the best.

I don't really care what a country's "recommendations" are on something. If it's obvious to me, as a consumer, that a product is being misused, then I'll avoid it.

The UK has said that some of the additives in certain Americolors are against their policies for use in food, yet they allow craft glitter to be put on food to be eaten They put big warnings on the particular Americolor products..................but some of their SugarFlair products get the same warnings here in the US.....................

For me, the additives in the colors is a muddy issue (pun intended). Food agencies have gone back and forth on this for years. One year something is carcinogenic and the next year, after another expensive study, it's OK.

But, when it comes to eating plastic...........that's never been OK.

As for who eats gum paste decos............KIDS & grown ups who act like kids.

You can't always protect people from themselves, but sometimes you just have to try.

Rae