Dragees Illegal???

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Permalink Reply by Connie Taft on March 16, 2012 at 10:32am

I know its sounds crazy doesn't it. I live in Florida and I can usually buy them at Fresh Market or Marshalls. I did notice however that it says something on the bottle to the fact that they are for decorative purposes only. I remember eating these as a kid on my cupcakes and sugar cookies. I don't know if it has something to do with the finish or what. I guess as a decorator you would need to explain that they are for decorative purposes only or just not use them. However they sure are pretty.

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Permalink Reply by Holly F on March 16, 2012 at 11:30am

I heard it was because they have traces of real metal in the coloring.  Why someone hasn't just found a different way to color them is beyond me...  Personally, I just don't like the price on those.. I usually buy regular sugar pearls, and toss them in a plastic bag with silver dust, or if there's only a few, paint them.  I'm with you, though, I remember these being a staple at Christmas time on my grandmothers cookies!  They're beautiful!

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Permalink Reply by suziq auzzi on March 17, 2012 at 7:34am

Napa environmental lawyer Mark Pollock started suing to force silver dragees off the California market in the early 1990s. When dragees came back into fashion in 2003, he filed a lawsuit alleging silver dragees are toxic. Since then, retail stores, wholesalers and Internet suppliers won't sell dragees to anyone in California because of the fear of being sued.   Pollock says his motivation wasn't that someone had been hurt by eating dragees -- he doesn't know that anyone has. But he says silver dragees have the potential to put consumers at risk. [You need to consume 3.8 grams of silver per day to have a 50% chance of becoming ill.]  

Silver Dragees are not illegal - just not sold in California - for the good of the people ..

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Permalink Reply by Jenifer T on March 17, 2012 at 2:06pm

Suziq - Wow thanks for that info. So just the silver ones, interesting. So dragees are different than sugar pearls? I saw on youtube you can take just white sugar pearls and toss them with shimmer dust and get a pretty pearl too.

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