Comments on: “Decoration Only” Dragees Dragging Me Down http://theyeasticoulddo.net/2009/12/09/decoration-only-dragees-dragging-me-down/ A Lot of Dough & A Little Green Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:47:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: India Tree http://theyeasticoulddo.net/2009/12/09/decoration-only-dragees-dragging-me-down/comment-page-1/#comment-210 India Tree Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:32:24 +0000 http://theyeasticoulddo.net/?p=354#comment-210 India Tree Gourmet Spices and Specialties: Dragées are a very old European tradition and have been used in Europe and the United States for years to decorate wedding cakes and other fine pastries. The FDA in its Compliance Policy Guide 7117-03 classifies silver dragées in the following way: "When small silver balls known as ‘silver dragées’ are sold exclusively for decorating cakes and are used under conditions which preclude their consumption as confectionery, they are not considered to be in the category of food or confectionery." Silver dragées containing the phrase "For Decoration Only" on the label and customarily sold in the decorating, not the food or the candy section of a store, comply with this policy statement. Because they are not categorized as food or confectionery, the FDA does not want the manufacturer to list the ingredients. However, it may be helpful to know that they are made mostly of sugar. They may also contain minute amounts of gum arabic, wheat flour, artificial coloring, and/or a very thin coating of silver. The European Union recognizes silver as a legitimate color additive and states that "small amounts of it consumed on special occasions are not harmful." Silver appears in medicines, cough drops and tooth fillings as well as in our water supply in controlled amounts. It is used to purify city drinking and swimming pool water. It occurs naturally in the soil in which produce is grown, and thus finds its way into the vegetables that we eat. You may wish to access the FDA ruling cited above on the web. You may also wish to visit the website of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR CAS #7440-22-4) for more information on the effect of small amounts of silver on health. India Tree Gourmet Spices and Specialties:

Dragées are a very old European tradition and have been used in Europe and the United States for years to decorate wedding cakes and other fine pastries.

The FDA in its Compliance Policy Guide 7117-03 classifies silver dragées in the following way:

“When small silver balls known as ‘silver dragées’ are sold exclusively for decorating cakes and are used under conditions which preclude their consumption as confectionery, they are not considered to be in the category of food or confectionery.”

Silver dragées containing the phrase “For Decoration Only” on the label and customarily sold in the decorating, not the food or the candy section of a store, comply with this policy statement.

Because they are not categorized as food or confectionery, the FDA does not want the manufacturer to list the ingredients. However, it may be helpful to know that they are made mostly of sugar. They may also contain minute amounts of gum arabic, wheat flour, artificial coloring, and/or a very thin coating of silver.

The European Union recognizes silver as a legitimate color additive and states that “small amounts of it consumed on special occasions are not harmful.”

Silver appears in medicines, cough drops and tooth fillings as well as in our water supply in controlled amounts. It is used to purify city drinking and swimming pool water. It occurs naturally in the soil in which produce is grown, and thus finds its way into the vegetables that we eat.

You may wish to access the FDA ruling cited above on the web. You may also wish to visit the website of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR CAS #7440-22-4) for more information on the effect of small amounts of silver on health.

]]> By: SulaBlue http://theyeasticoulddo.net/2009/12/09/decoration-only-dragees-dragging-me-down/comment-page-1/#comment-190 SulaBlue Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:07:50 +0000 http://theyeasticoulddo.net/?p=354#comment-190 Apparently, these little gems are <i>serious bizness</i>. This post has received more hits than almost anything else on the blog. As usual, it was also submitted to a foodie LJ community that I am part of and there it has received dozens of comments. It would seem that I am not the only one who has a sense of nostalgia when it comes to these little silvery delights. One person was kind enough to supply the following links to show just how utterly serious this is (and just how crazy the nanny-state has gotten in California). http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/12/23/MNGS03SUEM1.DTL The L.A. Times article is even better (and longer - 4 screens on Dragees... with tales of lawsuits and smuggling, oh my! Just proof that if you make something illegal, there WILL be a black market for it, even if it's just cake decoration!). http://articles.latimes.com/2005/dec/18/magazine/tm-dragee51 Apparently, these little gems are serious bizness. This post has received more hits than almost anything else on the blog. As usual, it was also submitted to a foodie LJ community that I am part of and there it has received dozens of comments. It would seem that I am not the only one who has a sense of nostalgia when it comes to these little silvery delights.

One person was kind enough to supply the following links to show just how utterly serious this is (and just how crazy the nanny-state has gotten in California).

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/.....3SUEM1.DTL

The L.A. Times article is even better (and longer – 4 screens on Dragees… with tales of lawsuits and smuggling, oh my! Just proof that if you make something illegal, there WILL be a black market for it, even if it’s just cake decoration!).

http://articles.latimes.com/20.....m-dragee51

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