Growing up we have seen most of our Indian sweets in the shops adorned with Aluminium foils. In recent years, however, the trend has shifted to exquisite dining, with not any but one of the most dazzling metals to exist. From chocolates to ice cream to cocktails, gold dressings are quite the sensation. Have you heard of the Golden Sushi and Gold-dusted Doughnuts? Have you wondered what this gold is? No wait, have you wondered “Can I eat gold” or better still “Why should I eat gold?”, guess what, gold is flavorless and without nutrition, the two basic purposes of all food that we eat. Yes, so why all the hassle?
One may be wrong to believe that this dazzle has been added to our foods recently. The oldest evidence dates to the 2nd millennium BC, when Egyptians consumed it to achieve divinity as gold closely related to the skin tone of the gods. After years of using gold for wrapping pills, and serving dishes in grand banquets, the buzz around using gold subdued a bit after the 17th century. In 981, it was however revived by the chef Gualtiero Marchesi, who served gold leaf alongside his much-celebrated dish of Saffron Risotto.
Most countries categorize Gold as safe to use and consume, including EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Like all other foods we consume, in moderation, this entity will not cause any complications, but in excess, could cause gastrointestinal issues. Moreover, this gold should only be used as a decoration, and not in any case as one of the main ingredients. Alexander Oppenheimer, a registered dietician when asked about the safety of eating gold, answers that it’s not your wedding ring that you are eating. This is gold that has been properly processed under the standards of food authorities. For instance, in Europe, E-175 is the standard code for gold when used as a food additive or for coloring purposes. This additive like all others has been generously evaluated with the most recent re-evaluation being in 2016. Why it can be safely consumed is the fact that it is chemically inert and doesn’t react with other substances. Cynthia Sass, a registered dietician cites that ‘Most likely edible gold won't be absorbed from the digestive system into the bloodstream, and therefore it will pass through the body and eliminated as waste. But this may depend on the size, amount, and frequency consumed”. Despite this, the quality and source of the gold are critical, as gold not processed for this use may not be safe to consume. The EFSA did talk about some unclarity on the toxicity and purity of the gold being used. So, a study was later done on gold dental fillings. This is one area where gold has been used for decades, and we haven’t observed any negative effects. Gold particles have been observed in saliva indicating that it is being swallowed but not causing any harm. Gold ingestion has also been studied in pharmaceutical industries, as it is used as a treatment for rheumatism. Here it serves as a delivery system for the drug, along with sulphur and phosphorous. Most of these studies have been done by the European Authorities, but the USFDA still refrains from this topic, due to a lack of proper studies on the subject.
Moving on to if there could be any health benefits from eating gold – it was believed that gold could treat depression, and migraine and also help with the immune system. Indian Ayurveda has also used gold for treating infertility. Some studies do exist for these validations, but the major results are inconclusive.
Coming to the interesting part of how this gold turns into the sheets lined on our desserts, this gold is made from 99.9% 24-carat material. This gold is then processed with techniques using heat and pressure to make it edible. This gold is usually alloyed with other more malleable metals such as silver or copper, which makes it easier to draw into sheets. A minimum of 90% of gold should be used. The alloys also help to create a more diverse range of shades. These alloys could be hammered to make sheets, cut into flakes, or ground into a fine powder. Contamination of this gold is another important aspect to be addressed. Thus, only gold processed for edible use should be used for food manufacturing.
One of the most important aspects associated is of course the cost. Gold is almost synonymous with expensive. This is why Gold is usually restricted to luxury dining only. Although the cost generally varies, it could be anywhere between a few to a hundred dollars. One gram of pure dust could go as high as 100$.
Gold has become a statement in luxury dining. Cocktail glasses lined with gold, desserts topped with gold dust, icecreams snowed with gold dust, a touch of class with every gold dust that falls on it. After doing further research on this article I found out the range of dishes that this gold has been added to, and not just recently. It has been ground in Japanese Green Tea for ages. Who would have thought? So, what would be the next gold dish on your bucket list?
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