CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 12/10/13

UGA experts say don't use real leaves to mold chocolate ones

By Sharon Dowdy

Using leaves from landscape plants to mold chocolate leaves for your holiday desserts may awe guests, but University of Georgia food safety specialists say it isn’t worth the health risks.

“I have multiple concerns with using real leaves (to craft chocolate leaves for use with foods),” said Judy Harrison, a food safety specialist with UGA Extension. “First of all, a consumer would need to be sure the leaves are not toxic or have toxic substances that could migrate into the melted chocolate. They also have to be concerned about using leaves that have been exposed to pesticides or fungicides because some of these are systemic.”

Pesticide residues

In addition to pesticide residues on leaves, Harrison is concerned about residues that could be inside the plant. Pesticide residues on ornamentals are not the same as those used on food crops.

“People usually express concerns about the possibility of pesticide residues in food, and pesticides used on ornamental plants are not necessarily the same ones approved for use on food crops,” Harrison said. “They should also be concerned about insects or insect eggs that could be transferred from the leaves to the food they are making.”

UGA Extension county agents have received calls about using leaves as molds for making chocolate leaves, following a recent article in a popular Southern magazine. The recipe recommends using leaves from rose, camellia or other nonpoisonous plants as molds for chocolate leaves.

Use fondant

To keep your family safe, Harrison recommends making fondant leaves when creating a chocolate-leaf-topped cake.

“Fondant is meant to be used with food and is a much safer approach to decorating those beautiful holiday cakes. Most craft stores sell the supplies,” she said. “Any brand of fondant and cookie cutters can be used.”

For more food safety information from UGA Extension, see the website extension.uga.edu/publications.

Sharon Dowdy is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Authors:
Sharon Dowdy
Experts/Sources:
Judy A. Harrison
University of Georgia Extension food safety specialists say use fondant, not real leaves, to make chocolate ones. Real leaves can be coated with pesticide residue and insects.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Thermal imaging technology could improve the production of fruits and vegetables. CAES News
Thermal imaging may help fruits, veggies stay fresher longer 10/28/24 Savannah Peat
Before your favorite produce arrives at the grocery store, it must be carefully harvested and maintained across long stretches of time. A recent University of Georgia review suggests new temperature measuring technologies could make that process much simpler, amid growing agricultural challenges fueled by fluctuating climates. Maintaining temperature, humidity and light is critical to ensuring fruits and vegetables don’t spoil or deteriorate rapidly. Temperature spikes are the root of adverse outcomes, so monitoring these changes quickly and accurately is key.
Cairo, Georgia CAES News
New funding for UGA faculty to address rural issues 09/16/24 Baker Owens
The Rural Engagement Workshop for Academic Faculty at the University of Georgia has announced the list of funded faculty seed grants to address issues in rural Georgia. The grants offer funding between $5,000 and $10,000 for faculty to engage with rural Georgians on issues that are critical for their communities. The program encourages collaboration between faculty in UGA schools and colleges with faculty in Public Service and Outreach and UGA Cooperative Extension already working throughout rural Georgia.
goldenlatte CAES News
UGA researchers develop ‘instant’ version of trendy golden milk latte 08/21/24 Jordan Powers
Nestled among cappuccinos and traditional espresso lattes, a unique, golden-hued beverage has grown increasingly popular on cafe menus over the past several years. Advertised as a caffeine-free, healthy coffee alternative, “golden” turmeric milk is a take on haldi doodh — a traditional Indian beverage often used as an at-home cold remedy. Now researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have developed a new method to make a plant-based, instant version of the beverage.
Northern Thai food CAES News
Exploring the world through food 07/30/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
From the agricultural revolution to globalization, food has always held a defining role for humanity, with foodways serving as the foundation of many cultures and civilizations throughout history. “We talk about food around the dinner table. The food choices we make, the origins of the foods, and where they come from are fascinating,” said Ronald Pegg, one of three University of Georgia instructors for “The Impact of Food and World History and Culture,” a class that takes students on an interdisciplinary exploration of how food shapes societies.
Poison ivy in a forested area. CAES News
Detect and protect: Expert tips to identify and control poison ivy 07/18/24 Mark Czarnota
Poison ivy is a common poisonous plant in Georgia and is infamous for causing allergic reactions for as many as 50 million Americans annually. To manage it effectively and safely, it's important to understand its traits and use the right control methods to deal with this troublesome plant. Mark Czarnota, an associate professor in the University of Georgia Department of Horticulture, provides helpful tips to distinguish poison ivy from common look-alikes and shares several ways to control the irritating plant.
"Palmetto bug" is a regional term used to describe several species of cockroaches, including the smokybrown cockroach (Periplaneta fuliginosa). CAES News
Is that a roach or a palmetto bug? 07/10/24 Maria M. Lameiras
It’s summertime, and there are a few things residents of the Deep South can count on this time of year — heat, humidity and insects. Fireflies and cicadas are popular topics these days, but of all the creeping, crawling, buzzing creatures that bug us, one is met with near-universal revulsion — the cockroach. Whether you’re new to the South or a lifelong resident, you’ve likely run into one of the several species of cockroaches that are common in the region.