Our scientific experts applied for the first time the 2018 EFSA Scientific Committee Guidance on Nanotechnology to the safety assessment of food additives. Titanium dioxide E 171 contains at most 50% of particles in the nano range (i.e. less than 100 nanometres) to which consumers may be exposed.  

It adds a bright white color to coffee creamers, baked goods, chewing gums, hard-shell candies, puddings, frostings, dressings, and sauces. But the nanoparticles found in “food-grade” titanium dioxide may accumulate in the body and cause DNA damage—which is one way chemicals cause cancer and other health problems. 

lithopone supplier in plastics and masterbatch

In cosmetics, titanium dioxide’s properties enhance coloration and can help protect skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays.

Les pouvoirs couvrant et éclaircissant du lithopone normal sont supérieurs à ceux de la céruse et de l'oxyde de zinc, mais inférieurs au Dioxyde de Titane pur, étant le meilleur blanc sous tout rapport. C'est le sulfure de zinc qui, avec son indice de réfraction de 2,37, est l’élément opaque ; le 2nd composé, le sulfate de baryum, joue un rôle de diluant minéral et favorise l'efficacité de la diffusion du premier.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a chemically inert inorganic compound and an insoluble white solid that occurs naturally in several minerals, including rutile, anatase, and brookite. It is created synthetically from the mineral ilmenite. It is an insoluble white solid. Anatase, when compared to brookite and routine, has the most industrial applications, but it is the most toxic form of TiO2.

In a 2016 study published in Scientifica (Cairo), Egyptian researchers examined the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the organs of mice by orally administering the food additive daily, for five days. The results showed that the exposure produced “mild to moderate changes in the cytoarchitecture of brain tissue in a time dependent manner.” Furthermore, “Comet assay revealed the apoptotic DNA fragmentation, while PCR-SSCP pattern and direct sequencing showed point mutation of Presenilin 1 gene at exon 5, gene linked to inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease.” The researchers wrote: “From these findings, “the present study concluded that TiO2NPs is genotoxic and mutagenic to brain tissue which in turn might lead to Alzheimer’s disease incidence.”

Does It Cause Cancer?

How to Approach Titanium Dioxide in Products

This TiO2 manufacturer mainly produces R5566, R5567, R5568, R5569 and other series products, which are used in coatings, plastics, papermaking, ink and other fields.

Still, you may wonder whether it’s safe for consumption.

Most food-grade titanium dioxide is around 200–300 nanometers (nm) in diameter. This size allows for ideal light scattering, resulting in the best color (1Trusted Source).