I have been making celebration cakes for people on special diets for as long as I have been making cakes and have spent a lot of time making sure the ingredients are safe to use for individual diets. I constantly check to see if the ingredients have changed or new products come on the market.
As a cake decorator are you are being asked more frequently if you can make cakes for special diets?
Do you get confused with ingredient lists?
I have put together a list of the common icings and sugarcraft ingredients used in the UK and allergy advice on each.
There are hidden ingredients that you may not think about. The main ingredient that causes confusion is Glucose syrup. This ingredient is found in most sugarcraft products.
Glucose can be made from any kind of starch and is used in sugary foods to soften texture and prevent crystallisation of sugars.
Most of the world seems to make glucose syrup from corn and call it corn syrup rather than glucose syrup. In Europe glucose syrup is made with corn and wheat..
If you buy your ingredients from a catering wholesaler there is a good chance the glucose in the product will be made from wheat, – this includes glace cherries and mixed peel.
To be sure what is in a product ask your supplier for the food specifications. This is a printed sheet which gives a description of a product, packaging info, shelf life, origin, ingredients and their derivatives and any allergy information.
You may be wondering ‘what is the problem with glucose?
Food labelling rules allow products containing wheat glucose to be sold as ‘gluten free’. The theory is that it should be safe for coeliacs and people with wheat allergies because it is so refined. However, speak to people with intolerances and allergies and you will find plenty of evidence that this is clearly not the case.
Always ask the customer if they know if wheat glucose affects them. To be on the safe side, I always use ingredients I know are 100 per cent wheat free.
Fortunately, new EU legislation will eventually make things simpler by forcing producers to specify if a product contains wheat glucose. This will take a while to come into practice as manufacturers are permitted to use up their old packaging before redesigning labels – so for the time being at least, err on the side of caution and choose products which are definitely wheat free.
Take a look at the list below for a one-stop guide to popular sugarcraft products and their allergens. If you want to add any brands I’ve missed, please do get in touch.
Updated 2nd September 2011
Key:
v = vegan / free from all animal products including egg, dairy products, gelatine and honey.
df = dairy / lactose free
nf = nut free
gf = gluten free
wf = wheat free
ef = egg free
Sugarpaste
- Renshaws Regalice - v, df, nf, gf, ef, contains wheat glucose
- Dr Oetker regalice - v, df, gf, wf, nf, ef
- Pettinice - gf, wf, nf, ef, contains dairy products, suitable for vegetarians, not suitable for vegans
- Covapaste - v, df, gf, nf, ef, contains wheat glucose
- Silver spoon ready to roll icing – v, df, gf, wf, ef, now states may contain nuts
- M & B sugarpaste - v, df, nf, gf, ef, contains wheat glucose
Most supermarkets stock silver spoon or Dr Oetker’s ready to roll icing so they are easy to find.
Marzipan – Almond paste
- Dr Oetker – v, gf, wf, df, ef, contains nuts
- Sainsburys –v, df, gf, ef, glucose derives from wheat or corn, contains nuts
- Tesco - v, df, gf, ef, glucose derives from wheat or corn, contains nuts
- Asda -v, df, gf, ef, glucose derives from wheat or corn, contains nuts
- Waitrose – v, df, gf, ef, glucose derives from wheat or corn, contains nuts
- Ingram brothers (available from catering wholesalers) - may contain milk, dairy and cereal containing gluten, contains nuts
- Silver Spoon – v, gf, wf, df, ef, contains nuts
- Squires kitchen - v, gf, wf, df, ef, contains nuts
- Odense - v, df, ef, contains wheat gluten, contains nuts
Most supermarkets stock silver spoon or Dr Oetker’s marzipan so they are easy to find.
Flower paste
- Squires Kitchen - df, gf, wf, may contain traces of nut – nuts used in same factory, contains egg white
- Sugar city platinum paste - v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Sugar city diamond paste - v , gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Sweet success Pastiche flowerpaste - gf, df, nf, ef, contains gelatine – not suitable for vegan and vegetarians. Contains wheat glucose
Mexican / modelling paste
- Squires Kitchen Mexican paste – v, df, wf, gf, ef, may contain traces of nut
- Squires Kitchen sugar dough – v, df, wf, gf, may contain traces of nut and egg
- Squires Kitchen Pastillage – df, wf, gf, contains egg, may contain traces of nut
- Sugar City Mexican paste – v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Sugar city modelling paste – v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Sweet success Pastrima - df, gf, nf, ef, not suitable for vegans or vegetarians, contains wheat glucose
Fondant
- Tate and Lyle - v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Silver spoon – v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- MFG available from wholesalers – v, df, nf, ef, contains wheat glucose
- Squires Kitchen fondant icing mix – v, wf, gf, df
Chocolate Paste
- Squires Kitchen dark chocolate Cocoform – gf, wf, ef, may contain traces of nut and dairy
- Squires Kitchen milk chocolate cocoform – gf, wf, ef, may contain traces of nut, contains milk
- Squires Kitchen white chocolate cocoform – gf, wf, ef, may contain traces of nut, contains milk
- Regalice luxury white chocolate sugarpaste - gf, ef, contains milk, contains wheat derived glucose syrup, made in a factory which also handles nuts (marzipan) but made in different areas
- Regalice luxury chocolate sugarpaste – gf, ef, may contain milk, contains wheat derived glucose syrup, made in a factory which also handles nuts (marzipan) but made in different areas
- Tracey Mann dark chocolate paste - gf, ef, may contain milk, contains wheat derived glucose syrup
Dried egg white
- Meri white – contains wheat, gluten and egg
- Supercooks dried egg white – df, gf, wf, nf, contains egg
- Squires kitchen pure albumin – df, gf, wf, nf, contains egg
Royal Icing Mix
- Tate and Lyle – gf, wf, df, nf, contains egg
- Squires Kitchen – gf, wf, df, nf, contains egg
- Sugar City – gf, wf, df, nf, contains egg
Supermarkets now stock writing icing which does not contain any allergens so handy if you just want to pipe a simple message or decoration or you can use watered down sugarpaste which pipes from a piping tube really well.
Food colouring
- Sugarflair powder colours – v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Sugarflair paste colours – v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Sugarflair liquid colours – v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Squires Kitchen powder colours – gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Squires Kitchen paste colours – gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Sugar City crystal colours – v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef
- Edable Art powder colours – gf, wf, df, nf, ef, all vegan except E120 (cochineal). Although most reds seem to be E122 or E124 which are synthetic
- Orchard Products powder colours - gf, wf, ef, contains lactose
Glucose Syrup
- Squires Kitchen – v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef, glucose made from corn starch
- Dr Oetker – v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef, glucose made from corn starch
- Silver Spoon – v, gf, wf, df, nf, ef, glucose made from corn starch
- Bako commercial supplier – v, df, gf, nf, ef, contains wheat derived glucose
Tags: cake decorating, dairy free, Egg Free, gluten free, vegan
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Hi Gemma, I’ve happened across your blog quite by chance and am so pleased I did! I was hoping to start offering gluten free cakes to customers but I use Covapaste and see this contains wheat glucose. It’s my sugarpaste of choice as I’m not keen on supermarket brands. Is Pettinice available in the UK?
I was also about to buy more Meri-white and use it for IMBC to top some gluten free cakes, it looks like it is Squires albumen for me!
Could you tell me, is it acceptable to make ordinary cakes and gluten free cakes in the same kitchen (not at the same time) and advertise/sell them as gluten free?
I’ll be passing your blog onto my Sugarcraft Guild members
)
Jenny
Hi Jenny,
Thank you for your comments.
Pettinice is available in the UK. You could ask your catering supplier if they can get hold of it or I know there is a company Kent way. I’m trying to remember the name – it’s something brothers. I’ll try and find out.
The Dr Oetker egg white powder from the supermarket works very well if you only need small amounts. I have been searching for a free range version.
Regarding making gluten free cakes in the same kitchen. If you can keep your ingredients seperated and be aware of cross contamination, it shouldn’t be a problem. The best thing to do would be to give your local Trading Standards a call and discuss it with them. They will let you know if they think you need to change any way you do anything or how to label your cakes. They like to check that you are aware about ingredients, storage, cross contamination etc.
Good luck. Here is my gluten free sponge recipe if you want to give it a try.
http://www.icedgembakes.co.uk/gluten-free-and-dairy-free-baking-recipes/victoria-sponge-filled-with-jam-and-buttercream/
Gemma
Hi Gemma
I too am just starting to get cupcake and cake orders from people with food intolerances and my head has been in a spin as there seems to be conflicting information on the web – this is so useful!
The one area I can’t work out still is re the cupcake decorations such as sprinkles, sugarpaste flowers etc – do you have any advice on these? I asked in the local cake decorating shop and they seemed to think shop bought sugar flowers would be ok but I certainly want to make sure! I’m thinking I might have to make my own to make certain but would sugarpaste be ok?
Thanks
Jen
Hi Jen,
Thanks, I’m pleased I can help.
You could phone the companies that make your edible decorations, they should be able to tell you straight away or your catering supplier can get the food specifications for each product.
If you can’t find out the information I would not use the product to be on the safe side. A lot of commercial decorations will contain wheat unless they state otherwise.
Lots of wonderful reading here, thanks! I had been researching on yahoo when I uncovered your publish, I’m going to add your feed to Google Reader, I look forward to far more from you.
Hi Gemma, I wonder if you can help me I’m fairly new to the cake decorating business and have been asked to produce my first birthday cake for a little boy that has a severe nut allergy and is also allergic to uncooked eggs. I am at a bit of a loss as to what icing I can use. I do tend to use Renshaw’s Regalice which I note above contains no nut traces but I’m not sure about eggs. Can you help? Many thanks
Hi Mandy,
Regalice icing does not contain eggs.
When an ingredient is labelled as vegan this means there is not any animal products in it. I have added this to my key in this blog to make it clearer.
Hi Gemma,
Thank you so much for providing all this useful information!
I just have one question though, that I hope you can answer.
I have to make a nut-free cake for someone with a severe nut allergy.
I usually buy Renshaw Regalice, and you have said that it does not contain nuts, but there is nothing on their packaging about whether or not it is made in a factory where nuts may be used. Does this mean it is made in a nut free factory?
I just want to be sure, that there are no nuts and no chance of any trance of nuts in the icing.
I look forward to your reply!
Hi Amy,
Thank you.
The information on the product specifications states that Regalice does not contain nuts or nut traces so it is safe to use.
Hi Gemma,
Can you recommend any gluten-free white chocolate for baking that is available from UK supermarkets? I’m sure I read somewhere that Dr Oetker’s Continental white chocolate was ok? The problem is that there might not be anything suspicious in the ingredient list of white chocolate but that doesn’t mean there’s no cross contamination on the production line and this is often not stated on the packaging.
Thanks
Hi Gavin,
Try using white chocolate instead of the baking variety as the flavour is better and you would have more options of a gluten free variety.
The Dr Oetker website contains really good information about allergy advice on all of their products even if foods contain a trace of an allergen. For more reassurance,if you email the company they will get back to you quite quickly.
hi. I am a vegan and looking for an alternative to meri-white in london, any one know of an alternative and where this can be purchased?
Hi, have you tried Orgran No Egg? You can buy this from whole food shops or Asian supermarkets usually.
If you haven’t used it before, see my blog post http://www.icedgembakes.co.uk/special-diet-blog/product-reviews/egg-free-meringue
Hi Gemma,
Thanks for your useful information. I’ve got a slightly different problem, I’m planning to make and ice my wedding cake myself but one of my bridesmaids comes out in blotches if she has artificial colours. I have some Sugarflair food colouring paste which contains artificial colours, so do you have any information on other brands and what type of colouring they use?
I know that some natural liquid colourings are easily available but I’d rather use paste if I can as it gives a deeper colour.
Thanks
Marianne
Hi Marianne,
I don’t know of any natural paste colouring. I can only suggest to check the colours you want to use to see what they are made from and check if they may be ok for your bridesmaid. Have a look in Asian supermarkets. Some sell powder food colouring which may be natural.
If you can’t find anything, could she have a slice of cake from the centre of the cake and peel off the icing from the top?
Thanks,
Gemma
Hi Gemma,
That’s probably going to be my backup plan. Unless I can get a rich enough colour from natural liquid colours, I might do some cupcakes to give to her & small children with a paler icing as well as the main cake.
Are you covering the cake with sugarpaste? If so, liquid colour will water down the sugarpaste making it soggy.
Wow, what a site. My 3 year old dtr has coeliacs disease but instead of entering into the world of purchasing a cake every birthday I have decided to teach myself how to make wheat and gluten free yummy birthday cakes! Just did my first batch of fairy cakes on Sunday and now ready to enter the world of iceing. Your page has been a great help as a starting point.
Thank you. I’m pleased it has helped. Good luck with it.
Hi
I’m looking for gluten free edible glue and also petal/moulding paste as my dad is coeliac and I am doing cupcakes for their Golden Wedding Anniversary. I have managed to find Rainbow Dust in gold but I need a glue to stick this onto the hearts I am hoping to make.
Thanks
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Diamond or platinum paste by Sugarcity is safe for coeliacs and also Squires.
For glue you could use rose water or gum arabic mixed with a few drops of water to make a thick paste will work.
Gemma
Hi Gemma,
Do you know of any places where Pettinice is available to purchase? I do not work in a bakery so cannot go wholesale and do not have a catering supplier.
Thanks
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I’m sorry but no I don’t. Maybe somebody will read this and let us both know
Hi, i’m trying to find flavourings and flavour extracts aswell as food colourings suitable for vegans for use in the actual cake itself, I was wondering if you could help?
Also i’ve noticed under colourings you have not got Dr oetker listed? I thought they were suitable for vegans?
Any advice you could offer would be much appreciated.
Hi Enola,
Nielson Massey flavourings are vegan and gluten free. They have started to produce other flavourings which can be found on their website. http://www.nielsenmassey.com/vanillainformation.htm
You will have to contact them to see if they are all vegan.
http://www.squires-shop.com also make vegan flavourings and colourings.
Waitrose sells a wide range of flavourings which maybe suitable.
Thank you of reminding me about Dr Oetker food colouring.
hey, just wanted to say a huge thank you for having this page, im fairly new to cake decorating and made my daughters christening cake, but i have a friend with coeliac disease so i bought a ready made gluten and wheat free cake and although it tasted ok it looked terrible!!! so have decided to try and make and decorate my own cakes that cater for people with special diets. this page has helped me loads as was getting conflicting info on other pages! thank you again
laura xxx
Hi, thank you. Good luck.
I noticed on http://www.allergyuk.org/fs_nutfreediet.aspx that some people with nut allergies may be advised to avoid gum arabic and gum tragacanth. Do you know if tylose is ok to use?
Hi Marie,
As far as I can find out it depends on the brand. I found this link which may help.
http://www.windsorcakecraft.co.uk/50g_tylo_powder.html
Are Squires food paste colours vegetarian?
Hi Starry,
Yes they are suitable for vegetarians and vegan.
Hello,
what a fantastic website, thank you so much! I was wondering – do you know if Wilton food colourings are dairy free?
Hi Katy,
Thank you. I have had trouble in the past trying to get information about these products. I don’t know but if I find out I will let you know.
Gemma
Very helpful website! I don’t know if you can help further: I am coeliac but I also have a very nasty intolerance to alcohol. It is so bad that I get reactions if there is any form of alcohol even in things like vanilla essence [I found out the hard way!]. I have sourced alcohol free vanilla etc, but I was wondering about food pastes. Do you know if the Squires food paste has any ethanol or other alcohol-based ingredients? thanks.
Hi, I noticed you were having trouble with finding info on wilton products, I can relate to that, I contacted them about 3 years ago asking if any products where suitable for vegans, they emailed back asking which products in particular and this is response I got to a few products
Wilton’s icing colors, clear vanilla extract, pure vanilla extract, contains no
animal products in the products themselves. There is beef, pork, fish and
shellfish present in the manufacturing environment where these items are made.
The foodwriter’s, sparkle gel, shimmer dust, cake sparkles and colored sugars
contain no animal products in the products themselves or the manufacturing
environment.
This info is like I say about 3 years old now and I don’t know if ingredients or produce line has changed any.
I have more recently tried again to contact them and am at dead end, the response I got was to phone them, all fair and well except they are an american company.
I’m still researching various companies some are easier and more friendly to talk to but you have to be vary specific with ingredients and also cross contamination on production lines to get a clear answer.
A few things i’ve encountered so far are that with some companies the ingredients and produce line maybe clear but the sugar used maybe proccessed through bone char.
Do you know any thing about vegan suitabilty of sugarflair rejuvenator spirit, I’m looking to paint with their colours and have been reading up that may need to water it down a bit with rejuvenator spirit?
Hi Enola,
I know what you mean about getting information.
I am not sure about the rejuvenator spirit. I use a vegan vodka to water down my colours. If you find the colours dry too quickly with alcohol you can use rose water instead.
Thanks for that, I did wonder if vodka would be ok, i’d read you can do it that way but was a little worried that it would leave a flavour and also if I was making for children or tea totalers.
It’s a nightmare trying to decode labels best of times but it’s the things that are not written that are more frustrating.
another question, i’ve been tryin regalice as found it better than dr oetkers but am now finding regalice very soft to work with…ive covered cake with it but it seemed to dew up and almost sweat sticky, i’m not sure the best solution also wanted to attempt figures or decorations with it that are still edible, i’ve heard xantham gum is good? but that i’m guessing would be for the figures/decoration.
many thanks
You don’t get any flavour. Rejuvenator is just iso- propyl alcohol. If you’re worried then use rose water.
How did you store the Regalice before using it? It will go sticky if it is too cold or was your cake fridge cold? Was your kitchen humid when you used it? I could have been a bad batch?
I’m trying to get information about certain products at the moment and finding it hard so I know what you mean.
If you do find it too soft you can add a pinch of gum trag. To make models add 1 teaspoon gum trag to 500g sugarpaste and leave for a few hours to firm up before using.
Good luck.
Ah, I see ok , well I always store sugarpaste in the cupboard, I found renshaws soft to begin with but did frosting of cake+ let it fully set in the fridge then rolled+ coated cake in sugarpaste and put back in fridge to firm up a little more, i’m guessing thats where i went wrong, I thought it was best to keep finished cake chilled?
I’m still fairly new to the whole sugarpaste decorating.
A sugarpaste cake needs to be kept at room temperature so you can’t use a filling which needs to be kept in a fridge.
Good luck.
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you.
I’m waiting to hear back from Squires. I’ll let you know if I hear.
On the website of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America you will find out how you can take action to prevent or improve the situation of patients suffering from asthma or allergies…
[...]Food allergy advice for cake decorators[...]…
Hi Gemma
It’s my daughter’s 1st Birthday in a couple of weeks and I’d really like to make her a special cake. Though I don’t intend to give her any of it, I would like it to be bright and colourful. However, I am still breastfeeding and really nervous about using colouring as she had an awful reaction following my gorging on cakes at halloween! I’ve tried googling to get info on ways of colouring icing naturally but have just ended up confused. Please can you offer any help?
Many thanks
HI,
I only know of liquid natural colours. These wouldn’t be suitable for colouring sugarpaste as it will make the paste sticky but they will work fine in buttercream or royal icing. You will find them in whole food shops. Dr Oetker also produce natural liquid colours but I haven’t seen them anywhere yet?
Belgian Chocolates Store…
[...]Food allergy advice for cake decorators[...]…
Hi Gemma
Thanks for that. I’m wanting to make an In the Night Garden cake so the colours are very bold and I think I would need to use sugarpaste to create the characters. I may just have to go with it but not eat the icing myself.
Thanks again
Sam
What a fantastic source of information!!I have been asked to make a cake for someone with a nut allergy – I normally use Squires edible glue but notice the label states it may contain traces of nut. Any alternatives? It’s for modelling but also gluing decorations to the cake (top and sides). Thanks
Thanks Janette,
You can stick sugarpaste cutouts to a cake with a dab of water or rose water.
For larger decorations or sticking models together I would use royal icing or watered down sugarpaste.
Gemma