Gold
What it does
Gold decoration.
How it's made
Metallic gold leaf.
Gold is used as a food colour to give a metallic gold decoration — the gold leaf and gold dust seen on luxury chocolates, cakes, desserts and some drinks. Like silver, it provides a shiny metallic finish for decoration rather than a dissolved colour.
Food-grade gold is made from pure metallic gold, hammered into gossamer-thin edible gold leaf or produced as fine flakes and powder. The gold is refined to high purity, since only pure gold (free of the alloying metals used in jewellery) is suitable for use on food.
Its permitted use is limited to the external decoration of certain confectionery, cakes and drinks. Being chemically inert and applied in minuscule amounts purely as ornament, gold passes through the body unchanged, and its role is entirely about luxurious appearance.
Possible reactions
Inert; decorative use only.