What is a certified color additive, and does edible glitter use them? A certified color is a dye whose every batch the FDA checks before it can be sold. The maker submits a sample; the FDA runs at least 10 analyses — purity, moisture, residual salts, unreacted intermediates, subsidiary colors, and the heavy metals lead, arsenic and mercury — typically in under five working days, and a passing batch is certified. Those are the synthetic FD&C dyes in part 74, titled "Color Additives Subject to Certification." Part 73, "Color Additives Exempt from Certification," holds colors generally from plants, minerals or animals — including mica-based pearlescent pigment, titanium dioxide and iron oxide — approved as a type, with limits written into each listing. The FDA says both classes must meet the same safety standard. The label rule, 21 CFR 101.22(k), makes certified dyes name themselves and lets exempt colors hide behind "color added," so a named dye is certified by definition. Edible glitter labels commonly carry both halves. A bakery owner's inspector asked "is the color certified?"; Dana wins the round that this is the wrong question, and the right one is the ingredient list plus two documents — a product specification and a written regulatory statement naming the food categories. No jar is "certified": the word attaches to dye batches, not products. In this episode: - Sparkle Lab: the two halves of the rulebook and what batch certification physically is - Why "exempt" means checked differently, not checked less - The label rule that makes certified dyes name themselves - The inspector conversation, twice: how it went and how it should go - Why a safety data sheet is not the document that answers the color question Who should skip it: home bakers who want the simple label checklist, anyone shopping for a "certified glitter" badge, and anyone who wants a podcast to rule on a specific jar. MONÉGASQUE 15 gram luster dust is on Amazon at $14.99 standard; check the listing for current pricing. Full transcript on the episode page. New questions answered every week at The Monégasque Table. **Direct answer (top):** A certified color additive is a synthetic dye whose every batch the FDA analyzes — at least 10 analyses, typically in under five working days — before it can be sold; these are the FD&C colors in 21 CFR part 74. Part 73 lists colors exempt from certification, approved as a type with limits written into each listing, and the FDA says both must meet the same safety standard. Edible glitter commonly carries both: a mica-based pigment from part 73 and, in tinted shades, a named FD&C dye from part 74. - 00:00 Cold open — two halves of the pantry - 00:40 The bakery owner and the inspector's question - 01:10 The verdict: what certification is, and the two halves - 03:00 Sparkle Lab: the certified half and the batch process - 05:00 The exempt half, and why exempt is not unchecked - 07:00 The label rule: named dyes, "color added," and carmine - 09:00 The glitter jar: which half is which - 10:30 "Are your jars certified?" — why the word doesn't attach to jars - 12:00 Dana's round: the wrong question and the right one - 13:00 The safety data sheet, and the two documents that speak to food - 15:00 The inspector conversation, done properly - 16:30 Who should skip it · Dana's Scorecard · footnote · two teases Produced with AI-crafted hosts. Full transcript on the episode page.
Show More
Show Less
18 mins