“For Decorative Purposes Only.” Those four words have stuck out to me over the years as I’ve undertaken various baking projects that require sprinkles
when you’re tasked with baby shower desserts or a birthday cake, they come with the territory.)Every time I see that ominous warning on the label, I ponder it for a few minutes,
But seriously, should we be concerned that sprinkles are somehow unsafe? Does the term “For Decorative Purposes Only” mean that sprinkles aren’t actually meant to be eaten?
First, it’s worth noting the many different types of sprinkles out there. Classic rainbow sprinkles (in the traditional “jimmies” shape) are made of sugar, vegetable oil, cornstarch,
Other ingredients recognizable as food. Then there are sanding sugars and sugar crystals, which are a finer grain than jimmies and made primarily of sugar, carnauba wax, and confectioner’s glaze
more spherical deluxe sprinkles that you might use to top a unicorn cake at a child’s birthday party. Dragees are often metallic and shiny, as if to underscore their specialness
These are the sprinkles whose label includes the “FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES ONLY” disclaimer, and whose ingredients list includes “silver metal” among its stated colors
reached out to the manufacturer of the fancy sprinkles in my own pantry, and while I won’t call out the brand here, a source explained that the “decorative” disclaimer must be included
It actually says “for decorative purposes only in USA,” because it’s meant to comply with the regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Many other countries don’t have such regulations