The mother of a Gold Coast toddler who is fighting for life after inhaling non-edible cake decorating powder has reported that her son has shown signs of improvement overnight.
Fourteen-month-old Dustin “Dusty” Wildman remains in hospital in Brisbane after inhaling a metallic rose gold decorating powder while his mother, baker Katie Robinson, was preparing a Bluey-themed birthday cake for a friend’s child.
Speaking from the hospital, Robinson said doctors were pleased with Dusty’s progress overnight.
“He’s doing better at the moment. Overnight he’s made some progress, and the doctors are pretty happy with how he’s looking,” she said.
“He’s telling us that he’s ready for his little tube to come out, which is amazing.”
Dusty was rushed to hospital and placed in an induced coma after the powder turned to paste inside his lungs, blocking his airways.
Doctors later discovered the decorative powder contained copper and zinc compounds after sending the product for testing.
Robinson said the terrifying ordeal unfolded within seconds while both she and Dusty’s father, Chris, were nearby.
“I was just working in my studio. My partner was there as well. We both had eyes on him,” she said.
“It was a matter of seconds before he was into something and choking, and then, you know, within minutes he was unresponsive, and it was just so terrifying to see.”
The professional baker said the product had been sitting unopened beside edible decorating supplies.
“He just bit the lid off it and inhaled and ingested it at the same time,” she said.
Warning to Parents
Robinson is now warning parents and bakers about the dangers posed by non-edible decorative powders that closely resemble food-safe products.
“All these products look exactly the same, and the fact that there’s toxic, non-edible products sitting right next to edible products that do the same job, technically, is the problem,” she said.
The metal-based powder involved in the incident was labelled “for use on removable parts”, wording Robinson believes is vague and open to interpretation.
“There are so many of these dusts that are edible and can be used on all edible parts of the cake,” she said.
“Some people might think removable parts are still edible. So, it’s just so hard to know.
“This product was toxic; it contains metals that shouldn’t be ingested or inhaled.”
The supplier has since removed the product from sale and contacted stockists, requesting it be destroyed following the incident.
The company’s social media pages also appear to have since been taken offline.
A GoFundMe campaign launched by family friends has now raised more than $44,000 to support the family while they remain by Dusty’s bedside in Brisbane.
“We are just so incredibly grateful for all of that support,” Robinson said.
“We would have been so stressed about money. It’s just a weight off our shoulders, we are so grateful.”
