Aye carumba!

Well?!? There shouldn't be anyone that has a problem with it if they're dousing their cakes with it, cause the customer is gonna get a big ole bite of it too! 

A

Every teenaged boy needs a full understanding of glitter so that they can avoid it or embrace it as they wish. My husband almost drove off the road once when he noticed a piece of glitter on his arm and tried to get it off of him. I guess he's allergic to unicorn farts.

Great to see some levity.  Sometimes the best lessons are learnt and remembered when dealt with humour, rather than being preached at.
 

I have to thank you for this posting, CakePro.  I had used Wilton dusts, but just a few months ago ordered a product (Super Pearl Dust by CK) from Sweet Wise. The product description online only states:  "Produces a shimmery luster for beautiful cakes. Non-Toxic. Contains: Titanium Dioxide & Mica. Not water soluble. Mix with vodka or grain alcohol to paint, or brush on dry for a beautiful, all over sheen. Net Weight: 2 grams"  I admit to not reading this  but notice - NO mention of not being edible, though the ingredients are not typically known to most of us - bit of the red flag if you did notice.  The video used on this supply company site,  demonstrating this product, also makes no mention of the NOT EDIBLE status.   But the CK brand label states "non-toxic" and "not to be consumed" in smaller text below the product name.  Had I seen this before making my purchase, I would have NEVER ordered it.  

I asked for a refund from Sweet Wise, but the warehouse manager opted instead to furnish me with his thoughts on the product, suggesting the info is on their page (it's buried if it is) and minimizing the product's harm.  I know the difference between non-toxic and not edible so "non-toxic" doesn't make me feel a bit better.  I mentioned the health department's warning but he seemed unimpressed.  BTW - any chance you can copy/paste the warning rather than attach as a PDF?  Sorry, but what I can see is better than that which I can't (sort of like this product's warning - )  

In my case, the product was used on a large candy topper that found its way on to a cake for my husband.  It was not consumed.  I vaguely recall putting a touch of it on another fondant piece but it was used only sparingly.  Live and learn, emphasis on LIVE.  

I will certainly share this info with others.  Again, thank you for informing all of us. Keep up the helpful work.  While it may not kill us, I know I'd never offer up craft glitter, in any amount, to my grandchildren on a cake or cookie.  Too many other options!

Titanium dioxide is a white pigment that's almost totally inert, and (at least the last time I looked) approved for food use.

Mica is a family of silicate minerals that cleave into thin sheets, commonly used in sheet form as an electrical insulator, and in granular form as a glitter, and as a filler material. While it's also largely inert, simply being inert doesn't mean a substance isn't biologically harmful: consider asbestos, whose carcinogenicity comes, from what I've heard, not from a chemical property, but from its tendency to break down into sharp microscopic fibers that mechanically damage DNA. Tiny particles of mica might also have harmful physical properties.

AI am SOOOOOO glad that I read this! I have used it on gum paste accent pieces for cakes before. I'm absolutely furious that this is inedible. I had no idea!!! I purchased them from my local chocolate shop. The woman told me it was edible glitter made from sugar.

I also purchased little jars of glitter called Sunflower Sugar Art and it says made in the USA. Any idea if these are edible?

If you're ever not sure, just put whatever it is in water and see if it dissolves. Sugar will, plastic won't.

Hmm. Flakes of sheet gelatin might also fall into the "will dissolve" category (or at least, the "will become waterlogged" category; flakes of mica, or metal filings, or similar things would definitely fall into the "will not dissolve" category.

And presumably, anything hazardous that falls into the "will dissolve" category would not rate a "non toxic" label.

REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE FDA: One thing you need to realize is that the "ingredients" in Disco Dust and Super Pearl dust are quite different, and should be discussed as different products. The Super Pearl Dust that you ordered contains 2 things: Titanium Dioxide and Mica, as well as some food safe filler starches. Both of these main ingredients are listed as SAFE ACCORDING TO THE FDA, the former on page 152 under section 175.105, and the latter on page 200 under section 176.170. A couple of things: there is a big difference between a finished product having FDA approval and a product having FDA Certification. I know because we did it for THE MAT. I challenge you all to go look at your cake ingredients and see if they are FDA approved. They ARE NOT because it takes years of testing and a great deal of expense to do so. If the FDA had to go through the approval process for every item on the shelf, it would implode. A certification comes from the manufacturer, certifying that the product contains (then lists and cross references) FDA approved ingredients and materials, which is the case in the Super Pearl dust you ordered. Let me reiterate that very ingredient in there is safe according to the FDA Code of Federal Regulations. If we threw away all the food in our cabinets that isn't FDA approved, we'd all starve tonight. I'll attach the code of Federal Regulations for you to double check so you know the ingredients in the luster dust are safe. One other thing you should note: the FDA and a County Health Department have VASTLY different assignments, and Mr. Entringer's position on Disco Dust is a general answer in regards to Disco Dust, not luster dust. In addition to that, his job is NOT to approve or disapprove ingredients as far as what the government approves the population to consume. His job, assuming he is involved with food inspection, is to enforce public health laws and regulations. Again, just taking a position on the luster dust here, not the Disco Dust. Very different products. I hope this eases some tension, and perhaps a little of the hard feelings between you all. I know it can be frustrating- figuring out the FDA is almost as confusing as figuring our new tax codes. 

I have no fear of luster dust, but I still don't want to eat plastic.

AGood to know. Thanks for the link!

Sunflower Sugar Art is a company.  They sell dusts and glitters that are branded and re-labeled, but most likely all come from the same manufacturer.

Thank you Sweetwise for clarifying the role of the FDA and the HD.  

I want to mention that there are 2 basic types of dust - the dusts that all come from the same manufacturer that companies re-brand and re-sell, and Crystal Colors.  Crystal Colors are the only FDA approved dusts on the market (or at least they were, there might be more but I think they are it).  If you are really concerned about this and want to use FDA approved dusts, order Crystal Colors.  http://www.sugarpaste.com/catalog/catalog.htm

Glitter and disco dust is still another issue - does anyone have a link to a disco dust that is FDA approved for use on food?  That way not only are we informing other decorators about DD, but we are letting them know where they can buy DD that is approved. 

*edited to fix typos.  I am way tired.

i mean i just came back from the cake deco store

i thought they had the edible stuff--was gonna do an experiment

will have to order online instead

he points me right to the dd - i said no i mean the edible stuff

he says oh that's edible I used it on bladeebla cake

vahhhsst assortment of beautiful glittery dd shimmering on the shelf

(coming to a theater  cake colonoscopy near you :)

yum yum eat 'em up

Just to add to the info above, Crystal Colors were the first FDA approved/Kosher dusts---I use them and love them.

I have recently been made aware that TheSugarArt.com (Edward Frys company--used to be European Cake Gallery) is now making FDA approved/Kosher dusts, too.

Here is a reply I received when I asked TheSugarArt.com about the new products:

"Yes they are Kosher certified and have certificates for each color in our line. The colors also are FDA approved, same colors that you would find in Americolor or any food product you would purchase. Just ours are geared toward painting and dusting as well as chocolate use. We include on our labels the colors that are used to create our colors. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] if you would like more information or call us at 817-297-2240."

Rae

Colonoscopy near you- that made my night! 

"NOT TO BE CONSUMED" means just that, SWEET WISE; no matter what position the FDA or a health department may take on it.  I stand by my position you should make this line much more clear on your site so unsuspecting shoppers can make an informed decision about purchasing the products you sell.  You've certainly gone out of your way to avoid a refund, haven't you?  

for what it's worth, the first time i saw dd years ago i saw that it was not edible and did not bite that apple

thought it was for cold porcelain or something else inedible

and also for what it's worth

i've purchased from sweetwise and i give them a 5 out of a possible 5 for communication and customer service

i did not receive the item i purchased--wrong color rolling pin

they couldn't get the color i purchased

they were excellent about it and satisfied me with a suitable refund for my trouble

love my green rolling pin!!!!

The manufacturers made a product.  They labeled it correctly (non-toxic).  They sell it to retailers who market it.

Retailers have created pretty ads showing jars of DD alongside sparkling cupcakes, cookies, and cakes doused in the stuff.

So who is to blame for perpetrating the idea to cake decorators that DD is edible?

Yes, it is up to us to read the labels, but shouldn't truth in advertising be expected of retailers?

Very upset, I went to Micheal's and could not find the said unicorn..I checked every aisle and looked on every shelf, I even smelled extra hard for the glittery farts.I feel I have been misinformed on where to get these said unicorns..When I asked the customer service person where I can find them, she said next to the Leprechaun crapping out gold coins.

100% agree with you CakePro, specifically online retailers where all the information is not readily available/revealed to consumers.  Obviously, we're all going to have to agree to disagree, but I think we'd all be happier if retailers did a better job in bringing these warnings (no matter how they feel about them) to our attention.  After the product arrives at my home isn't acceptable, but I'm a mature woman who believes customer service has become a thing of the past; replaced by a "too bad" attitude.  Not a promising or positive change.  

You have to go to the Magical Michael's (no relation to Magic Mike, sorry) in the parallel falalalala universe to find unicorn fart glitter. But actually, you could probably go to Magic Mike's, there's probably lots of glitter there. How you choose to collect that glitter is up to you, though, you could get arrested for that.

I wrote a blog post about this months ago, it's definitely the responsibility of the decorator to tell people what they're buying.

Or you can get your glitter here:

A