Much has been written recently on how little is known about glitter’s impact on the environment with some regions even considering bans on the nuisance material as it can move much like microplastics, entering oceans and, ultimately, food chains. Now comes word that humans may already be consuming the material.

Watch any number of baking shows, and a liberal number of baked good recipes call for the decorative adornment of edible glitter. However, researchers believe that some of the “non-toxic” glitter on the market for decking out cakes and the like is actually as unhealthy as consuming pieces of plastic from a water bottle.

According to a recent report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), truly edible glitter is composed of "sugar, acacia (gum arabic), maltodextrin, cornstarch, and colour additives specifically approved for food use, including mica-based pearlescent pigments and FD&C colours."

To prevent confusion, the FDA recommends avoiding products without a list of ingredients on the label as it is not meant for consumption. Making matters even more confusing is that some of the “cake glitter” available for purchase is not considered food.

As the FDA explained: "some decorative glitters and dusts promoted for use on foods may, in fact, contain materials that should not be eaten."

One telltale sign that the product isn’t meant for consumption: instead of containing the word “edible,” other words such as “non-toxic” might appear on the label. Such a moniker, according to researchers, should serve as a warning that the item is likely mostly plastic.

Made from a combination of mylar (a polymer), coloring and reflective material like titanium oxide or aluminum, glitter is composed of inert ingredients, yet there is little evidence suggesting that the ingredients should be eaten.

Considering that humans are ingesting the material through a variety of sources including cosmetics and other everyday products, researchers are concerned because there is very little known about the impact on human bodies. As such, many scientists and environmentalists want to see the material banned.