Is contact paper a safe material to cover cake boards in? Does it leave any weird taste in the icing? Thanks! KM
I hope it's safe because I just covered a board for a wedding cake in fabric and then contact paper. By the way, the kind I used had no smell. If everyone at the wedding dies, than we'll know it wasn't safe. lol 
Hi everyone. I was part of a conversation some time back regarding the safety of contact paper. I decided to write to the Krittich Company (makers of contact paper) and asked them directly if it would be alright to use contact paper to cover a cake board. It took quite some time but I finally did get a response a short time ago. I don't recall who I had the conversation with here on CC so I'll probably start a new post to let everyone know what my reply from the Kittrich Company was. Anyway, I thought I would also post on this thread because it was specifically asking about the safety of the paper. Just thought I would share. I'll copy the reply.
Edited to add that my inquiry to Kittrich Co. referred to the use of "clear" contact paper.
Hi Margie,
Contact Paper is made of PVC VYNIL. We do not recommend this to be used in Direct contact with food. I do have other customers that are doing the same thing with our paper, and although we have not received any complaints in regards to this type of use, we still must give you caution.
Thanks,
Have a Great Day!
Teena Leyva
Kittrich Corporation
Customer Service Dept.
714-736-1057 phone
714-736-2157 fax
I wrote this in reply to another thread a few weeks ago:
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I called the Kittrich Corporation awhile back (about 6 months ago ) over this issue. I was told that clear contact paper has no dyes in it and it is safe for short term contact with food products. They advised to not allow food contact with the colored/patterned papers because there can be lead and other chemicals in the patterns. The patterns can rub off or leach off if the food is particularly acidic.
If I want to use a patterned contact paper, I cover it with a layer of the clear stuff
I use clear contact to cover boards that have porous papers on them--I put scrapbooking papers or the comics on as decoration at times. I also use an underboard on all my cakes, so the only food thing touching the decorative board is the border.
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I have never experienced any "smell" issues with the clear contact paper.
Rae
When I make all of my cakes, even single tiers, I first put them on a 3/16th inch foamcore board cut to the exact size of the cake (i.e. 6", 8", 10" round, square, etc.).
I don't cover the foamcore with anything--the paper surface on it holds up very well. I adhere the cake to it using buttercream.
I adhere this boarded cake to the finished, decorative cake board using double sided carpet tape. I
do this for extra support and so that I can easily move the tier around from turntable to finished board. It also keeps the finished board clean for the longest period of time.
If the finished decorative board is covered in clear contac paper, the only part of the cake touching the contac is the final, bottom border.
Rae
Wow! Thanks, that is a great idea. I have always thought about doing that but I never knew how I could attach the bottom tier board to the decorative board. I think it would make decorating the bottom tier alot easier.......especially when covering with fondant. It would also keep the decorative board clean! I ran into this with the last cake I made. By the time I was done the cake board was ugly! Thanks for the great tips!! 
For legal purposes they have to tell you it is not food safe. If the yeah, go ahead and something happens it falls on them. If they so it's not considered food safe they accept no blame at all.
I highly doubt that it is dangerous to put a piece of cake on it.
My 2 cents:
I use the clear all the time & have never noticed any type of smell, neither have I had any complaints. I think that I would be pretty limited if I didn't use it (don't really care for "fancy foil"). Is contact paper used to line shelves? If so, it's probably safe if we keep our dishes on it.
alibugs, I agree with you
They are covering their butts
I use contact paper on the selves of my cabinets where dishes have direct contact. My mother did it and my Grandmother did it.
I think if it was harmful we would have heard something by now.
The media scares the public. That's how they get your attention and ratings.
They get their information from study groups that depend on donations. If they don't come up with scare tactics it wouldn't seem as if they were needed. The donations stop.
Some of the things I hear on the news about material not being safe is hog wash. Yea, if we are exposed to 1,000x's more then normal.
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