(no subject)

[haardvark]

Our realtor gave us a gingerbread house as a treat for the girls. The decorative scheme makes heavy use of dragées, those little metallic ball-bearing looking sugar balls. I got to wondering last night what was in them to make them look metallic, guessing that it probably wasn't an especially healthful ingredient.

Come to find out that the formulations USED to contain mercury, but now contain chiefly metallic silver. They've been banned in California and a few other states, and the USFDA has stated that they are not a foodstuff and should be removed from baked goods prior to eating. Baking gear websites are full of shipment bans to CA, TX, AZ and elswhere, and all sorts of weasel words about relative safety. I found an SFChronicle article describing the smuggling of the shiney balls in from France, and selling them on the sly (but still making clients sign waivers)...

Suddenly, the fact that I stole handsful of these as a child when Mom was baking explains an awful lot...

Comments

[the-moonshiner.livejournal.com]

I used to eat those all the time when I was a kid!

I had no idea they were banned in California, although now that you mention it, I can't remember ever seeing them here.

[rue_deday.livejournal.com]

Did you knwo the word "dragée" off the top of your head, or did you have to look it up? Just curious.

I always thought "non pareils" was a vaguely disturbing phrase.

[haardvark.livejournal.com]

I hadda look it up. I started on Wikipedia with "jimmies" and it took about 3 hops.

[haardvark.livejournal.com]

I hadda look it up. I started on Wikipedia with "jimmies" and it took about 3 hops.

[scout1222.livejournal.com]

Well that explains why I haven't seen 'em around here lately.