Dangerous Food Decorations

     One of our greatest challenges here in Tucson, is to teach young children about seasons. It is also extremely difficult to convince ourselves that winter is on its way. I operate a family childcare center, meaning I provide childcare to a small group of children in my home. My 2, 3 and 4 year old children take life day by day, not really grasping the concept of seasons, weather, and seasonal holidays. Last month, the best I could do was let them stain paper leaf shapes in Autumn colors to mimic Fall in our playroom. Local xeriscaping doesn't offer any hints to the time of year.
  
     Now that Thanksgiving has been accomplished, and Christmas is on its way, I am feeling inspired to enrich the children with all of the holiday clichés, beginning with gingerbread men. I whipped up a simple (not GF) recipe from Betty Crocker for the kids, and then we scrubbed our hands and got to cutting out and decorating a village of spicy people. I cannot eat wheat, so there was no tasting on my part, but I figured I could enjoy a few of the toppings. To my surprise, my two favorite decorations were off limits, one being dangerous for everyone.

     First, I found soy listed in two kinds of sprinkles: CakeMate Decors Snowflakes and Chocolate Accents by Xcell International.

     Second, those little silver balls, "Silver French Dragees" have actual silver in them and state "For Decoration Only, Do Not Eat." One website said "Silver French Dragees (pronounced Dra-jeys) are those little metallic balls that we all remember on holiday cookies.They are safe to eat, but should be removed before serving because of the real metal coating. (That means they won't hurt you if you eat them, they do have a sugar center, it's just that the FDA has recommended that they are for decorative use only, and they are technically not a food item). They do add a beautiful and elegant look to wedding cakes, birthday cakes and holiday items..."

     Please be careful this holiday season. Do not assume that sprinkles and other treat decorations are safe to ingest. Sprinkles make treats look so festive and delicious, but they can be a real danger to someone with food allergies.