When I do wire in my cakes I use a 16 or 18 gauge wire. I wash it, bend it into the shape needed with clean hands & stick the end that is to be inserted into the cake in hot boiling water to kill any germies that I didn't get with washing. After I dip the end I dry it and let it sit to cool to room temp before inserting into the cake.
If you are using florist wire, that is the green painted wire or any other painted wire unless it is stainless steel, it should never be directly inserted into any cake or item meant to be edible even if you cover it with florist tape which is also not food safe. Lead is a risk with some of the paints used on some floral wires but regardless the metal should not have direct contact, some of it even rusts. So it should either be wrapped in plastic wrap or foil, enclosed completely in straws or you should use cookie sticks, toothpicks or wooden shishkabob skewers.
Hugs Squirrelly
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