You can buy Wilton's colors at most craft stores and cake decorating supply firms. They come in lots of colors so I'm sure you could find purple. You didn't ask but I thought I'd share my TNT tips on coloring frosting. (I use to do cake decorating for fun-off and on over 25 years now-until I broke my hand.

1. Wilton Expiration Codes
2. Does Wilton Decorating Icing Have An Expiration Date

• Expiration Dates On Food. Wilton Date Code. First 2#s are year made. Next 3 are the day of the year made. Saved by Susan Rudinsky. Expiration Dates On Food Wilton Candy Melts Chocolate Lollipops Shelf Life Something Sweet Holiday Treats Cake Pops Good To.
• Wilton makes the only ready-to-use icing that is the perfect consistency for decorating. The pure white color is best for creating true vivid colors using Wilton Icing Colors. Ideal thin-to-medium consistency for use in Wilton Method Cake Decorating Classes in a convenient easy-carry tub.

Posted on August 17 2018

We get a lot of questions about rolled fondant icing and the most common question is, does my fondant expire? Or can I use my fondant if it has been unopened after 2 years? The answer to these questions depends a lot on your fondant and the quality of the manufacturing. Going back to my blog about expired food coloring, my opinion is the same about fondant. Again, this is my opinion. Technically, yes, rolled fondant icing does expire and at some point it will go bad. Most fondants have a shelf life of 22 - 24 months. I will always prefer to use my fondant as freshly as possible, within the first 6 months of purchasing. But, sometimes I won’t have a project that requires a specific color I’ve purchased. In this case, I will leave the fondant unopened and in a cool, dry place. If the fondant has passed the expiration date I will do a few things. First, I check the softness of the fondant. If it still feels soft and flexible then I will certainly use it. Second, I check for any sugar beading or spots of mold. If I see these things I’ll usually throw the whole thing away. Third, I’ll smell and taste the fondant. If the fondant is rancid at all I will throw it away. And lastly, I check the color. Most colors will stay the same even after 2 years, however, some are prone to fading such as purples and pinks. If the color looks good to me then I’ll move forward with the project.

How do you store your fondant? This is a crucial step in keeping your fondant as fresh as possible. Fondant should be stored in an airtight container in the original plastic bag. It should be placed in a dark, dry, and cool place to keep it way from UV and fluorescent lights and moisture. UV and fluorescent lights can change the color of your fondant. And storing it in a dry, cool place will lower the chances of developing moisture which will cause mold and stickiness. If you see any mold in your fondant you can choose to cut off that piece if using the fondant for dummy cakes, or if being consumed, throw away the fondant completely.
If I’m making a dummy cake not to be consumed I am all for using expired fondant. If the fondant is fine and unchanged than there is no problem using it if it won’t be eaten. Sometimes after a long time of fondant being unused, it could feel very hard and nearly impossible to knead. Most fondants, even at its hardest, can be broken down and kneaded slowly. A little trick I like to do is put big pieces of it in the microwave at 5 second intervals and knead when the fondant feels slightly warm and softer. This will help warm up the fats and sugar making it easier to knead and bring the fondant back to life. Continue to knead the warmed fondant until it’s all blended and kneaded together. Be careful not to over microwave the fondant.

My final answer to this question is, yes, fondant does expire. Every fondant icing container should come with a “best used by” date. You can abide strictly by this date, or you can be creative and use your expired fondant for dummy cakes. I like to judge the fondant by looks and taste. I hope this answer a few of your questions. Thanks for reading!

Some of you may have already figured this out. But I was going to through some Wilton products to determine if it was time to discard and replace them. After looking at some of the items, I could not find any expiration dates. I only found codes stamped on the products. I called Wilton's customer service to find out what the codes mean. Below is the explanation of how to decode the Wilton numbers to figure out what their expiration is. But I still don't understand why companies have to use codes instead of just putting the date. Here is the email I received from Wilton. I hope it helps anyone like me who didn't know how to find their expiration dates:

Dear Brenda,

Thank you for contacting Wilton! We apologize for the delayed response.

We thank you for your interest in our products.

Wilton Meringue powder is freshest if used within 24 months.

There are stamped codes on the product (Ex: 13079505)

Wilton Expiration Codes

First two digits: year so this would have been made in the year 2013

Next three digits, 079: Julian date, so this would have been made on the 79th day of the year (March 20th)

So the Meringue powder you have was freshest if use till March 20th of 2015, since they were made in 2013 and they are good for 2 years. If the items you have are out of their freshness range (anything after March 2015) they are not harmful if consumed, they may just not perform as a fresh batch would.

Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

We appreciate your business.

Does Wilton Decorating Icing Have An Expiration Date

Have a great day!