Author Topic: Feeding tinted fondant  (Read 1591 times)

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Offline Bakersdozen

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Feeding tinted fondant
« on: October 19, 2018, 08:12:48 pm »
I have a baking supply store near me that has some out of date fondant they are willing to sell me at a reduced cost.  It's not a great deal, but they are close by and that means no shipping costs.  My concern is that the fondant is already tinted with food coloring.  Is there a problem using tinted fondant for emergency winter feed?  I assume that it is tinted with edible, to humans, food dye.

Offline Lburou

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2018, 09:45:31 pm »
I wouldn't be afraid to eat it myself, but don't have a clue whether it would be bad for the bees or not.  Perry has the most experience with fondant I think.  :)
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Offline tecumseh

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2018, 10:01:27 am »
I would have no concerns in feeding it too bees or to humans...

Offline riverbee

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2018, 12:44:32 pm »
probably no different than those who use the colored stuff for their hummingbird feeders that find themselves feeding their bees rather than the hummers?  i have seen folks who mixed up sugar water to feed hummers and put red food coloring in it........
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2018, 04:20:39 pm »
I keep thinking of the incident where the honey bees were getting into food dye run off from a M&M factory.

Offline tecumseh

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2018, 07:18:04 pm »
some decades ago we fed hard candy from 'tins' (a lot of honey and commodity foods were packaged in the same square metal containers) that were removed from fall out shelters at the end of the Cold War.  the bees seemed to prefer some flavors over others but I never noticed any ill effect in feeding the stuff.... 

Offline Jen

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2018, 11:44:52 pm »
This is interesting. A handful of years ago we were discussing feeding fondant to bees. And the reason being that there is corn syrup in the mix. And then there can be gelatin and glycerine. Curious why this is okay to feed bees?
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2018, 11:20:33 pm »
Not all fondants are the same recipe, I would check the ingredient and compare to make your own bee fondant recipes and decide from there if you want to proceed. 
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2018, 11:37:44 pm »
bakers, what's the ingredient list if you know?
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2018, 05:41:28 am »
The shop owner explained to me that the ingredients used in this product has changed in recent years.  Now it doesn't last forever like it used to. 
One product has confectioners sugar, corn syrup, vegetable shortening (hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil) water, glycerin, modified tapioca starch, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, gum tragacanth, natural and artificial flavors.
She also had another product that contained this: sugar, glucose syrup, palm oil, glycerine, cellulose, tragacanth gum, modified tapioca starch, titanium dioxide, potassium sulfate, and preservative.

Offline riverbee

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2018, 11:05:45 am »
bakers, reading the ingredients for these, i think i would not want to feed this stuff to the bees.  if the fondant just contained sugar, water, glucose, glycerine, no problem. the rest of the ingredients would concern me. the corn syrup, vegetable shortening, the oils, starch, etc.
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #11 on: November 01, 2018, 04:35:57 pm »
I agree with river with the ingredients listed
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Offline rober

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Re: Feeding tinted fondant
« Reply #12 on: November 02, 2018, 07:46:19 am »
a lot of beekeepers feed corn syrup. what's wrong with it?