Being an evidence-based organisation, I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that we look at our web metrics at regular intervals to find out what you’re looking for on the site and look at how we can make it easier for you to find. So we couldn’t help but notice that ‘edible glitter’ made a new and surprising entrant in the top 10 search terms early in January. A month later and the enquiries are still coming in, with our helpline now getting calls too.
Of course, we do get away from our computer screens occasionally – to look at our TV screens it turns out. So we were aware that these queries are a result of Sarah Hadland’s slip-up with her cake decorating on the celebrity Great British Bake Off.
We all know the power of the media in terms of delivering messages and starting trends – baking being the latest, which is something I have to say I’ve always enjoyed doing on a Sunday afternoon (although mostly bread). We’ve benefited from the media’s power in the past and it’s been an essential tool for disseminating important advice to the masses, but it’s always frustrating when we’re on the receiving end and it generates a lot of work, often unnecessarily.
So, in an attempt to answer all the remaining enquiries in one go, here are some sensible tips for identifying edible glitter: Buy it from the baking section of the shop (and not an art shop!), check the label says it’s edible and check the ingredients to see that it’s made of something edible, otherwise you could be covering your cupcakes with plastic! If it’s not clear from the label whether it’s edible or not, then I’d give it a miss, or buy some glacé cherries. Remember that non-toxic doesn’t mean you can eat it! If you’re still unsure, you might like to address your enquiries to Sarah Hadland – I’m sure she’s an expert on edible glitter after her embarrassing episode on TV!
Any alternative edible cupcake recipes should, however, be sent to me.