Decorating a cake with glitter? Check that it’s edible

THEY make cakes and cupcakes sparkle and shine, but popular decorative glitters can contain toxic metals and aren’t always safe to eat.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report Thursday that the products known as “luster dust” aren’t all meant to be eaten even if they’re labeled “nontoxic.” Some should be used for display only, like on a cake topper that’s removed.

The report cites investigations by health officials in two states that traced illnesses to baked goods using such dusts.

Rhode Island health officials investigated a report in 2018 of six children becoming sick after a birthday party, with symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea that were consistent with heavy metal poisoning. They all ate a bakery cake with a thick layer of frosting mixed with a “gold dust.”

Testing of a leftover slice of the cake showed it contained copper, as did tests on dust