Dragees- What's The Point If They're Not Edible??
Decorating By elvis Updated 6 Jun 2007 , 10:14am by amberhoney
Hi- I was requested to do a cake decorated with dragees-- she thought they were edible and I thought no. Finally found some at the store and sure enough..."for decoration only". AND yikes- $9 a bottle!
Is there such thing as edible dragees, and if not, who wants to pick them out of the frosting?
I know bump means "bring up my post," but how is that done? I need edible dragees, too.
Hmmmmm....
I am wondering this myself!
Here's another bump for you!!
They actually edible. For all I know they are not legally edible, cause someone chip a tooth with one and sued
From what I understand, the dragees used to be fine to eat (many moons ago when I was a kid), but then new regulations caused their status to change. I know a lot of people still eat them.
Could you make fondant or gumpaste balls? (of course, don't really want to eat gumpaste either) (and if it's wilton fondant, it's too nasty to eat)
I think they are edible or they were when I was younger. I do know they are illegal in some states because of the lead content. I used to see them in the grocery store when I was a little girl, I always wanted to put them on Christmas cookies. Now I can't find them anywhere. I am too scared to put them on cookies or cakes. I don't want to give anybody brain damage!
I thought they were edible? I would not want to eat them because I'd probably break a tooth! I had some and I swore it said they were edible. I don't have the package anymore to look but I'm pretty sure. I bought them at a cake decorating supply store.
I agree- they are definately edible. However, here in Ohio they must be sold as a CRAFT item, not a food item...for the same reason previous posters mentioned...chipped teeth, liability, etc.
Similar rules probably apply a lot of places around the States.
When I put them on the cake, I always warn them to suck on them to soften instead of "chomping right in".
-Michelle
In the late 60s early 70s we always decorated our christmas cookies with them and also ate them. At the time I thought they were coated this aluminum
Probably because they were as hard as aluminum when you tried to bite in to them lol. I used to eat them all the time when I was a kid. They were the special part of the cake.
You can still eat them. I do all the time just bought some today as a matter of fact. The myth is because of chipped teeth which could happen. The real reason is because they have real silver & gold minerals in them and the fda has no studies about those minerals being in our systems & possible long term side effects. That is why they say for decoration purposes only. 
hope that helps
I can't find them in NJ at all!! What a bummer, I am begging people at work to check their baking shelves for them in case there are any left... lol
If they aren't edible I should be dead now, but alas I am not ~ I think there was a major suit in CA regarding the lead in them or something and other states followed suit.
If you are looking for a replacement there are sugar pearls available online - they are in multitudes of colors but I haven't seen the gold or silver ones - maybe someone else has.
You could get the sugar pearls and coat them with luster dust for the metallic effect if that is what you are searching for.
Hope this helps. 
...Is there such thing as edible dragees, and if not, who wants to pick them out of the frosting?
No different than peeling off unedible fondant, removing plastic toys from the tops of cakes, or taking silk or real flowers off of a wedding cake.
They haven't been considered legally edible in the US for about 15 years because of the gold and silver in them. That being said if you are over the age of thirty you more than likely ate them as a kid. They are as hard as a rock and as Paolacaracas said more likely to damage your teeth than anything else. However, if you put them on a cake warn the buyer that they are for decoration only. You can get pearl dragees that are legally considered edible.
and who wants to pick gumpaste flowers (or anything) off....
yep it's edible too....sort of ....only if totally desperate.
-----
some things are not about "edible" but about "beautiful"
and that's where dragees fall.
------
so, yep, I'd use 'em if customer insisted and plaster disclaimers about them all over just like I would about the gumpaste flowers (looky no eaty*)
* and if small children around -- don't shoot em, spit em, flick em, etc.
[quote="ValMommytoDanny"]
If they aren't edible I should be dead now, but alas I am not ~ quote]
That is so funny, that's what I was thinking. I'm 34 and my mom always had the silver ones in our cabinet. My brothers and I used to sneak handfulls of them at a time. We're all still here! I thought they were edible until I heard just a couple of years ago that they weren't. Heck, we used to have raw eggs in our eggnogg and we never got sick from that either! I think they're just scared of lawsuits.
I went to the store once specifically for dragees. I got there, saw the price and about fell over. Then I read on the package that they are non-edible. No way I'm going to buy them. Like the title of this forum, what's the point if they aren't edible??
I use dragees on cakes. I have found them at Canyland Crafts in several sizes and they are reasonalbe in price. They run $2-$6 depending on size. The most I have used on a cake was 1/2 a bottle. They have good pearls too.
http://www.candylandcrafts.com/dragees.htm
(Valmommytodanny they are located in NJ. Go there all the time and love it.)
I buy them in all sizes and colors at 2 local cake decorating stores.
I eat them.
I tell anyone who wants them used on cakes, cookies, etc. that it's a personal decision and that if they have any concerns they should remove them.
Rae
I always wondered about the edible-ness of those little silver decorations. My latest cake was decorated with a faux- pearls. I worried that someone would break a tooth or choke on one of them, so after an hour or more of precise placement, I spent another hour or more removing them and piping icing in their place. What does one do when they want to use a non-edible decoration that a guest could be harmed with????? :roll
Jules
I was under the impression that cachous and dragees were the exact same thing, just different names
I use them all the time, we eat them in Australia, they're sold at the supermarket and at all cakedecorating stores. A lot of them come from Italy some are locally made.
cheers
Nati
I cook a cookie class last year and they addressed this. Now I cannot find my info right now and I will look it up.
In MN, I dont think they are sold as food items anymore and frankly I have not looked for them in a long time.
If I remember correctly there are the silver and gold ones. 1 will stay in your system therefore bad, the other will pass through just cant remember which is which.
As a kid we ate them all the time too. Not sure if they are that different now.
Once I find my specific course notes I will update the post.
Anyone else?
I found this on a site that sells these:
Silver Dragees are classified as non-edible and for decoration only by the FDA in the United States because they contain minute quantities of heavy metals. However, they are non-toxic and safe for use on food and are considered edible in many countries outside of the U.S. where they are consumed on a variety of confections.
This makes sense, since it's ok to eat gold leaf.
A good night to all.
Me too! I loved them as a kid, ate them all the time! Now, just a question... do you let your kids eat them? My 4 year old loves them, he has had maybe 2 or 3, I think he is attracted to the "shine" but I'm afraid to let him have them! I guess when it comes to our babies we become a little more picky...
Well, I have to put my two cents in. I am 33 and my husband is 41, we are both from NY, there is a very popular bakery that would decorate their cakes with these little "balls" that were really good. WE ate them all the time. Back in the 70's and 80's we could find them in the supermarket and my mom and I used them when we decorated a cake.
We function very well and our kids aren't missing any body parts or have three heads or 20 toes. lolol
So that being said unless someone is going to hold the warehouse hostage and eat all the dragees that they have ever made, I think that the effects of eating one or two dragees once every few years (not every bride ask for them on their cakes- and how many weddings do we all go to in a year) isn't going to make anyone go bonkers!!!! So I think that it is a really stupid thing to make ilegal and just something else to make our life a little more difficult for when we are trying to find them. 
Vic
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