E175

Gold

Limited risk

Decorative metallic color.

Vegan: Yes
Vegetarian: Yes

What it is

Pure precious metal (Gold) used exclusively for luxurious visual decoration.

How it is used in food

Provides an opulent, edible metallic gold finish for high-end desserts.

Commonly found in

Luxury chocolates
Wedding cakes
Premium liqueurs

Health and safety

None. Gold is the least reactive metal there is: it does not dissolve in stomach acid, is not absorbed, and leaves exactly as it arrived.

Permitted only for external decoration of confectionery and liqueurs; inert and unabsorbed.

Regulatory status

Region	Status	Notes
Australia & New Zealand FSANZ	Permitted	Permitted under the FSANZ Food Standards Code.
European Union EFSA / European Commission	Permitted	Authorised for food use under EU regulations (Annex II).
United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration)	Permitted	Authorised for food use by the FDA (often GRAS for standard additives).

Identification on labels

E-number: E175

How it is made

Mined, purified, and hammered into microscopically thin leaves or flakes.

Refining and Beating — Pure gold is beaten into sheets so thin they can easily tear with a gentle breath.

Worth knowing

Gold is entirely inert and passes through the human digestive system completely unaltered.

Conclusion

You do not need to worry about gold beyond its presence as an expensive visual luxury. As an unreactive metal, it does not dissolve in stomach acid, is not absorbed by the body, and passes straight through. Permitted exclusively for decorative leaf or flakes on high-end chocolates and liqueurs, it carries negligible health concern.

References

EFSA evaluation of E175 — EFSA

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Entry last reviewed 2026-07-28.

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