Hey all, 

ive been searching and searching and can't seem to find anything about making your own petal or luster dust. Not just glitter. I want the effects of petal and luster dusts... But I don't believe in using non toxic powders that could be consumed. 

So I want to know if anyone out there has any tricks up their sleeves about making an edible dust ? That is very similar to petal and luster dust? 

thanks in advance.

Mica is the mineral that gives the pearl dusts their shine, but the closest that I could find in the US is this cosmetics grade. You can find it in food grade in other countries, and the FDA does allow it to be used in things like candy and cough drops (and lipstick) so I think it would be okay to assume that it's okay to consume in small amounts. It's the kind of thing that's up to you to decide...If the FDA has approved it for cough drops but won't say that it's good for food use it makes no sense to me, but government generally doesn't make sense. :)  http://www.goplanetearth.com/colors_mica_powder.html

Sourcing edible components for luster & petal dusts? Could be done, but to buy in bulk to get a decent price? Not easy.

You can buy edible luster & petal dusts that use FDA certified colors and approved ingredients from a variety of sources.  These companies have worked hard to develop these edible products and hang their business hats on doing it right. 

When searching, avoid ANYTHING described as "non-toxic".  If that is used as a descriptor, there is NO REASON to believe that it is truly edible in accordance with FDA guidelines.

If the product is made in a country other than the US and is described as "edible", avoid it, too, because edible in South Africa, Australia, the EU, etc. may not be edible in the US.  Many lusters made in those countries contain real metal, so they are NOT approved for use on foods here.  They are just like highlighter dusts: only for decorations that will be removed and not eaten.  Many petal dusts from those countries contain BANNED color additives, including E124/ponceau, E151/brilliant black, and E155/Brown HT. If a label uses "E" or "C" numbers, it does not comply with FDA labeling requirements, so that's a great tip off to it being foreign made.

When making food in the US,  ALL ingredients must comply with FDA requirements--whether we like, or agree, with them, or not.

In no particular order here are a few companies that make/supply dusts that meet FDA guidelines:  sugarpaste.com; pristinepowders.com; thesugarart.com; globalsugarart.com; fondantsource.com

I was going to add to NEVER buy anything labelled edible from China, but @maybenot ‍ hit on that...Their labelling tends to be on the lax side, shall we say.