You can not purchase silver dragaes in california. The cake shop were i go is not allowed to sell them as ediable. Only inediable. He has to go out of state and pick them up and drive them back. There are not even allowed to be shipped to california. Due to the lead content and the amount of pounds one consumes. I think we were told like 9 pounds would make you sick. Someone sued and won. Who eat 9 pounds of those hard little silver things. So funny!
Actually he didn't sue anybody (or at least, not many people) and win; he threatens to sue and everyone stops selling dragees to AVOID the actual lawsuits. If any cake shop had a big enough cash budget and a lot of time on its hands, it could actually sell them and then try to fight the inevitable lawsuit. I think that's why they sell them on the DL...because it's not actually illegal to sell them so they just sell them quietly to trusted customers who won't rat them out.
There is no lead in dragees, only trace amounts of a silver compound, which indeed is only harmful if you eat MASSIVE amounts, and I do mean massive. We probably ingest more toxins from plastics leaching into our food, but I guess his point is the metals never leave your system the way other toxins do so he doesn't think people should take that chance. Thanks dude, why don't you start with *cigarettes* then. Sheesh.
Here are a few threads with links to articles about that spoilsport guy
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6098375-.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=598240&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=dragees&&start=0
It sucks. I'd love to get my hands on some of those. I just rolled out and painted a ton of tiny ones to glue onto keepsake GUMPASTE figures, NOT TO BE EATEN mr consumer activist guy! It's really annoying. 
I have been able to buy them at my cake supply store in CA and also online at http://www.fancyflours.com/.
No worries lifonahil, that's precisely what I thought for years. I just figured the article I linked to would be interesting, I couldn't believe it myself when I realized they weren't even illegal!! 
Even one of the stores I went to a few weeks ago said the same thing "Oh no we can't sell them, they're illegal in CA." So the misconception is passed along even from the shops themselves, who are unaware of their rights.
Do either of you live in SoCal? I'd love to find them locally, if you care to PM me where you can get them. Don't post it here! Or else you could get them in trouble. Aimers if you can edit your post I'd even remove that link; the guy goes after out of state people too, if they dare to ship to CA. [edited to add: I just checked their website, they say they won't ship silver ones to CA anyway]
i guess that is the one cake making plus of living in the uk rather than the us - we get to eat as many of the things as we want!
xx
Spoilsport, no childhood is complete without chipping your teeth on those little buggers. I love dragees, it is instant glamour!
My previous post stated that Fancy Flours sold them... I have not ordered them in a while an when I went on this is what they have listed, I am sorry for the misdirection. As you can tell it's been a while since I ordered them since they take so long to go through.
"Add an elegant accent to cake designs, sugar flowers, or cookies with these gorgeous, shiny, metallic-colored balls. As fabulous as these decorations are, please note that silver and gold dragees are to be used as "decoration only" per the FDA because they contain trace amounts of metal (ie: silver). Although people do consume dragees in most parts of the world, some culinary professionals are recommending they be removed before eating any confectionary treat garnished with them. Federal and state authorities list silver as toxic at certain levels. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declared dragees as non-edible and requires jars to carry labels saying they're "for decoration only." We choose not to ship these items to California because of recent lawsuits in that state."[/list]
He is an Environmental Attorney, and won his fight using the EPA as the culprit, so to speak. In 2003 his succedded in having dragees banned in the state of California based on landfill issues.. Here is the original news release.. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/12/23/MNGS03SUEM1.DTL IMHO, he needs to re-evaluate his priorities in life... 
This really sucks!!!! i wish I was wealthy because I would fight for our right to use them in California.
How come other states get to use them or is in just in California?
Those dragees make the cakes anc cookies look so beautiful. I live in SoCal too and no one will sell them to me...One guy on ebay said that he was going to report me to ebay because I tried to buy some from him. I asked him why and he said that he can't sell them to me. I told him that he doesn't have it posted. Sure enough, an hour later, he had it posted big as day. " I DON'T SELL SILVER OR GOLD LUSTER DUST OR DRAGEES TO FOLKS IN CALIFORNIA".
When I was young my mom would buy these in Maryland and I would sit for hours eating them by the handful. I bet I glow radioactive green in the dark now in my old age.
I had a tasting a couple of weeks ago and one of the friends of the bride saw the dragees on a photo of one of my cakes. She was dying to have one, as she also remembers eating them as a child on christmas cookies. I brought some out for her and they had a ball tasting them again. I used to eat them by the handful as well when I was kid, and I guess all of our hair is just going to fall out or something.
I see on almost all the websites they are illegal in California. I always did wonder why...
I live in SoCal and can find them at my trusted little cake shop. If anyone would like to email me, I will give them the info. So far, no one has reported them. I love this little shop!
[email protected]
HTH!
Katie 
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