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    All that glitters may not be edible.....


    Photo of Glitter seen through the microscope, field size approx 1mm by 1mm

    Press interest in “Edible” cake decorations has reached ABC News  who have added their own comments to the story.

    Work carried out by West Yorkshire Public Analyst Chris Hunt has been covered by both the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph recently following a press release issued by the West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service.
    Chris has found that many glitters are made of inedible polyester plastic of the type used to make drinks bottles.  Under the microscope the plastic is revealed as being in tiny hexagons with jagged edges.  In another case the cake glitter was actually finely powdered brass.

    Chris, who has built up considerable knowledge and expertise in this area, said “Many of these glitter products have been found to be made of plastic and would be suitable for decorating cards and ornaments but are not designed to be consumed. When they find that glitter is plastic and is not edible, most people no longer wish to eat the products on which they are used nor allow their families to eat them.”

    In many instances cup cakes are made by small craft bakers or enterprising individuals who assume that the toppings sold by specialist catering products’ retailers or wholesalers are suitable for use on foods, especially where packaging or advertising material shows the item on a cake or other food.

    Whilst there are plenty of genuinely edible cake decorations on the market, which are approved for use on food, many are plastic varieties confusingly marked as ‘non-toxic’, which does not mean that they can be eaten. Whilst the plastic is safe to use as a material for the production of a bottle,  bowl or spoon there has been no research on the effects on health of eating such material in glitter-sized fragments. No plastic is approved for human consumption and the Food Standards Agency advice http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2012/apr/glitter is that it should not be eaten.