Another one of those question-type threads

[noelfirl]

Now these things are sold by Firebox and the like and billed as "edible 22 carat gold leaf atop belgian chocolate". Forgive me for being curious, but I seem to remember from GCSE chemistry that the amazing AU is poisonous; it is, for example, used in injections for arthritis etc to deaden the nerve endings so I'm told.

So surely this chocolate gold is equally death-enducing. No?

A quick wiki indicates that the death gold you may be thinking of could be something like Disodium aurothiomalate which is used to treat arthritis. The same page suggests that gold flake used on chocolate has no... er... 'medicinal value'.

Mind you, I wouldn't take a wiki article as gospel.

[Lorns]

From what i understand, it won't do you any harm. I have seen it used on some cookery programme also sky news( i think) covered a story where the reporter got to taste a very expensive pie. Can't remember why it was so special, somewhere in the meal gold leaf was used on the dessert i think.
I've got no scientific evidence to prove it won't do you any harm though.

I can't see why anyone would want to eat it. Maybe it has a very nice metallic taste or something.

Anyhoo, try a bit and tell us what it tasted like please Mark.

[MarkN]

Now these things are sold by Firebox and the like and billed as "edible 22 carat gold leaf atop belgian chocolate". Forgive me for being curious, but I seem to remember from GCSE chemistry that the amazing AU is poisonous; it is, for example, used in injections for arthritis etc to deaden the nerve endings so I'm told.

So surely this chocolate gold is equally death-enducing. No?

Gold (food additive E175):

http://www.ukfoodguide.net/e175.htm

A naturally occurring, dense, lustrous, yellow precious metal widespread in low concentrations in all igneous rocks. Its abundance in the Earth's crust is estimated at about 0.005 parts per million.

Four countries, South Africa, Russia, the United States, and Australia, account for two-thirds of the gold produced annually throughout the world, (South Africa, with its vast Witwatersrand mines, produces about one-third of the world's gold) with Canada and Brazil also having substantial deposits.

There are numerous methods of recovery depending on the type of deposit.

As a food additive it is used solely for external decoration where it can be found on chocolate confectionery, in the covering of dragées and the decoration of sugar-coated flour confectionery.

Chemically, gold is very inactive and therefore virtually harmless, however as there is no dietary requirement it is probably best avoided.

Not permitted in Australia.

[Jamez]

Well I wouldn't eat it.

Surely it would be like putting tin foil in your mouth if you have a filling? *shudder* You know when you've eaten a quality street with a bit of foil still left on the sweet! owwww...

[Lee]

If you're still uncertain, give it here. I try anything and nothing ever happens to me. I assure you my baldness, flakey skin and other physical and mental deformities are all completely natural. *Hobbles away*

[noelfirl]

If you're still uncertain, give it here. I try anything and nothing ever happens to me. I assure you my baldness, flakey skin and other physical and mental deformities are all completely natural. *Hobbles away*

Erm, when you look in the mirror again, you might want to look at your forehead, that looks like a bit of a side effect. Mind, it is a nice view!

[Lee]

If you're still uncertain, give it here. I try anything and nothing ever happens to me. I assure you my baldness, flakey skin and other physical and mental deformities are all completely natural. *Hobbles away*

Erm, when you look in the mirror again, you might want to look at your forehead, that looks like a bit of a side effect. Mind, it is a nice view!

No side effect, it's actually an artist's impression of what a person with Superman-like abilities would see if they were to look inside my head. Obviously I was a little disappointed when they decided not to include the brain, but it does have to be accurate after all.