Sorry if this is not allowed here but I just basically want to know if i'm crazy or not for complaining to this shop near me that I saw selling these little cupcake type things with baby's breath poked into the top of them.
It was a coffee shop and florist that also sells food and desserts. I was stuck in line for a while and staring at their dessert case and noticed the flowers on this one dessert. I was pretty sure baby's breath isn't edible and was able to confirm that with a search on my phone. I decided to speak up about it and just asked the cashier to let someone in charge know about this situation I was reporting.
They had a manager come out and talk to me. He claimed they put foil over the end of the stem so the stem didn't touch the inside of the food. I said that's somewhat better, but it's still a non food safe flower coming out of the top of your food where customers might not know it's toxic and baby's breath drops flowers and petals a lot when it's handled. Then this is where I got a bit more suspicious – he then said the flower is just for decoration in the showcase. But I literally saw them serve a sit down customer one of these desserts with the flower sticking out of it and told that to him. He just said they'd "consider my comment" which sounded to me like they are going to keep doing it.
Am I crazy for having an issue that they're serving toxic/mildly toxic flowers in their desserts? The flowers are not coated in anything except possibly foil on the stem to some extent.
I've included photos of the dessert from their google listing.
I would just like to get more thoughts and feedback on using baby's breath or other non edible flowers in baked desserts to know how to feel about this.
by _allycat
44 Comments
Absolutely lol
Everything on the plate should be edible, including garnishes
I would definitely be uncomfortable with real baby’s breath being on the cake, even if the stem was supposedly covered. They’re playing games with the customer’s health and safety, and there’s a chance it’ll come back to bite them
Yeah you’re right to complain. Idk why they were weird about it.
I agree with you & good for you for speaking up about it. I wouldn’t like that poking in my food either. Who’s to say a small piece of tin foil doesn’t get left inside the cake?
Im literally quite allergic to baby’s breath. I am shocked they put it on cupcakes when it wasn’t specifically requested for a wedding or something
I’d love to know if it’s actually wrapped in foil or not.
Shit forget it not supposed to be edible they smell downright horrendous! Babies breath is my all time favorite flower I love how cute and “feminine” they look but my god I would not want such a bad smelling flower near my food 🤣🤣
Call the health department. They will know the answer. If it’s not a big deal then they may just tell you that. If it is a big deal then they may fix it.
See, them doubling down and saying they cover the stem is extra sus… what happens if a customer removes the stem but the foil stays in the cupcake? Like the answer is so simple, just change the flower to something edible and voila, no accidental ingestion of inedible flower and foil.
I wouldn’t eat there, no common sense and god help you what other basic food safety stuff they shirk cause *shrug*
I’m confused about this whole plating they did, the blood splatter, the paper cup the cake is in, and the strange addition of baby’s breath.
Let your state’s food inspection agency check it out.
Nothing about that cupcake even looks professional lol it looks like a kid did that
ULPT: get a friend to eat one and then sue
Real answer, contact the health department. This is serious, everyone saying this is normal or fine probably hasn’t worked in food service (and definitely shouldn’t!)
GARNISH SHOULD BE EDIBLE. There is no world in which it is okay for a restaurant to serve something poisonous on top of food. Even if it’s a mild reaction for most people, this is NOT safe or acceptable.
Call the health inspector.
Babys breath is ‘mildly toxic’ it shouldn’t be on food at all
I graduated from the culinary institute of America, and my gut response was what the f are they doing?!
Those do NOT look covered in foil
Or at least enough foil to keep it from touching the buttercream
Gordon Ramsey would like a word!
Looks like trash.
That’s a really ugly cupcake. It honestly would look better if the baby’s breath was off to the side on the plate. And they really need to get rid of the red blood droplets. They make it look like the cupcakes were in the vicinity of someone with consumption…
Come to think of it, white baby’s breath on a white cupcake is also a baffling choice. Having red flowers scattered around the plate would look so much better if they must have flowers.
Something people might not be thinking about too is that flowers are absolutely coated in pesticides. I know pesticides are used on most crops, but fruits and veggies are typically washed because they are intended for consumption, flowers are not.
Yeah not to be a conspiracy theorist but babies breath with that sauce looking like blood doesn’t feel morally right
Places that do dangerous things you can see probably do gross things you cannot see.
Do they also thinking not washing hands is ok?
Also, pesticides can be used in flowers unless they’re specifically for culinary use. I would report this to the health department and let them decide
Okay I won’t lie at first I was like.. “girl. It’s a flower, you’re being a bit dramatic”.. but then I continued reading and hell no you should not be serving non edible anything to a customer in a store. I could absolutely see someone just popping that baby right into their mouth. I don’t know food laws but I don’t even think that’s legal 😅 so yeah.. no.. you were totally right to say something!
Also these flowers stink badly I wouldn’t want to eat that
Lmao sounds like a health code violation to me.
I’ve seen enough cooking shows that lecture everything on the plate must be edible
I cannot tell you how many people I’ve witnessed eating the flowers at my last restaurant job.
Most of the time they would say, “I sure hope that flower is edible, was it decoration only?”
One time a customer asked me if she could eat the orchid flower. Before I could answer she popped it right into her mouth. I decided to twist the situation and said, “Wait! It’s only for decoration. I don’t want to call 911!”
Luckily she thought it was funny otherwise it would’ve ended badly for me.
Anyway, people will try to eat the flowers, toxic or not. They’re asking for a lawsuit.
Haha I wouldn’t want baby’s breath or foil in the middle of my cupcakes..
Everything on the plate should be edible. Even a garnish should be edible. There *are* edible flowers. Baby’s breath are not on that list. Edible flowers are sourced from growers who are using food safe pesticides, if any. Commercial flowers are doused in pesticides and chemicals, and are usually clearly labeled ‘not for human or animal consumption’ because of that. Since Baby’s breath isn’t edible, where are these sourced from?
I’d escalate. This is unsafe, definitely not foodsafe, practice.
Even if they did wrap the stems in foil that foil would likely stay inside the cake when the flower was pulled out. I’d be less than pleased to bite into one and end up with a piece of foil in my mouth.
Idk much about the flower or how dangerous it is, but it might be worth reporting higher up to someone who does inspections and such at places that serve food since it’s a safety issue. Like you said, not everyone would know not to eat it. Anything served to someone as a food item should only contain edible items or things that are known to need removing like wrappers.
Someone came up with a stupid idea. They’re trying to defend.
Garnishes need to be edible, full stop.
you’re not crazy for questioning it at all, because even if baby’s breath is technically used decoratively it’s not generally considered an edible garnish and it’s reasonable to expect anything placed directly on food to be food safe.
Baby’s Breath flowers are stinky. I would never combine with food.
Toxic garnish aside, this is legitimately the most offensively plated and garnished dessert I’ve ever seen and I’m genuinely astounded you watched someone pay money for one.
WTF were they thinking for any of this.
If they really wanted to use a non edible flower they could have used plastic flowers. Those particular flowers don’t have long stems and if they were covering the stem with foil the. Chances are the foil would be sticking out on at least one of them. And just as likely that they didn’t cover the whole flower in the foil. If they’re a florist and coffee shop then they should have known that these flowers were toxic even just a little bit. While it is ok to put real flowers on cakes it’s usually requested by a customer, not just ready to serve like that. Id call the health department to be sure
I go to places that have flowers in the food and always eat everything on my plate. If a flower isn’t edible it should be at least separate and they should tell you. Would have 100% tried to eat that. Good on you for complaining, if you have the energy please contact the health authorities
Call your local food/health authorities. This should have been done *before* posting on Reddit.
Even if they were edible, they look so ugly on the cupcake.
You were definitely right. That baby’s breath doesn’t even have a visual appeal…
Back when I was working in kitchens the rule always was “if it’s part of the dish it *has* to be edible, otherwise you’re asking for a lawsuit.” That includes garnishes.
It looks like a modern art installation commenting on the toxicity of love or marriage or valentine’s day. There’s blood splatter. There’s a white scoop that’s reminiscent of ice cream (no idea what they were thinking with those liners) and then the mildly poisonous flower that is heavily associated with romance, weddings and love.
I don’t understand it as food. As artistic commentary on modern love? Sure. I’d also worry this person is going to kill their spouse or partner.
Definitely call the Health Department. And then maybe suggest they call your local museum of modern art and and create one for them with a different liner.