Q: I recently read that the silver leaf (chandi varkh) used on Indian sweets is fake and contains various toxins that are harmful for the body when consumed. Do these toxins seep into the food making it inedible or can we safely remove them by washing the sweets?

A:The method used in making silver leaf is very cruel. To make varkh, silver is kept in between animal intestine & is pounded to give thin foils. So in case you are pure vegetarian try to avoid it. There is no point in washing the sweet, either you have sweets without the varkh or eat it as it comes, all the harmful material must have seeped in your sweet by the time you eat it.