Skittles has been making headlines in recent weeks and not because a new flavor has been added to the popular taste the rainbow candy.

It doesn’t take much to imagine what they must be doing to our poor skin each day as we layer on our sunscreen, foundation, concealers, eyeshadows & lip sticks which all contain large doses of titanium dioxide.

What Is Titanium Dioxide?

Sulphate and chloride methods

White powder

TiO₂ is also used in oral pharmaceutical formulations, and the Pharmaceutical Excipients handbook considers nano-sized TiO₂ a non-irritant and non-toxic excipient. Despite the fact that TiO₂ submicron- and nano-sized particles are widely used as food and pharmaceutical additives, information on their toxicity and distribution upon oral exposure is very limited.

In 2022, a year after the EFSA recommended against the use of E171, the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) conducted its own reassessment of titanium dioxide as a food additive. The agency concluded that titanium dioxide was indeed safe to use as a food additive. The United Kingdom and Canada came to similar conclusions.

Traditionally, UV-filters are categorized as either chemical or physical. The big difference is supposed to be that chemical agents absorb UV-light while physical agents reflect it like a bunch of mini umbrellas on top of the skin. While this categorization is easy and logical it turns out it's not true. A recent, 2016 study shows that inorganic sunscreens work mostly by absorption, just like chemical filters, and only a little bit by reflection (they do reflect the light in the visible spectrum, but mostly absorb in the UV spectrum).

Titanium dioxide is the most widely used whitening pigment in the world and has been linked to adverse health effects, particularly genotoxicity and intestinal inflammation. It is applied as food coloring and a whitening agent to a wide variety of foods, including chewing gum, cakes, candies, breads and ice cream. 

In a 2022 study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, scientists wanted to examine the effects of titanium dioxide as a food additive on atherosclerosis in mice. (Atherosclerosis refers to a hardening of the arteries.) Researchers fed mice 40 mg/kg of the food additive every day for 4 months, and found that it not only altered gut microbiota but also led to a significantly increased atherosclerotic lesion area, especially in animals that consumed a high-choline western diet (HCD).

Hebei Caiqing Material Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 2005 and has been at the forefront of chemical product research and development. Focusing on the field of titanium dioxide, the company has played a vital role in meeting global demand, providing personalized customization services to global customers. With the continuous expansion of the titanium dioxide market, Hebei Caiqing Material Technology Co., Ltd. is ready to meet the industry's growing demand in terms of production and service.

The FDA's Code of Federal Regulations allows for the legal, regulated use of titanium dioxide in food products, under some restrictions.

In summary, wholesale titanium dioxide is a crucial ingredient in the tire manufacturing industry. Its unique properties enhance the durability, aesthetics, and performance of tires while contributing to cost-effectiveness and sustainability. As the automotive market evolves and demand for high-quality tires increases, the significance of titanium dioxide in tire production is likely to grow. Manufacturers must continue to seek reliable wholesale sources for TiO2 to ensure their products meet both consumer expectations and industry standards. By doing so, they can secure a competitive edge in a rapidly changing market.

Used for coloring paint, ink, rubber, etc. Inorganic white pigments are widely used as white pigments in plastics such as polyolefin, vinyl resin, ABS resin, polystyrene, polycarbonate, nylon and polyformaldehyde, as well as paints and inks. It is less effective in polyurethane and amino resins, and less suitable in fluoroplastics. It is also used for coloring rubber products, papermaking, varnished cloth, oilcloth, leather, watercolor paints, paper, enamel, etc. Used as an adhesive in the production of electric beads.

The morphology of vitaminB2@P25TiO₂NPs is coherent with the description of Degussa P25 typical population. Size distribution histograms were made from manual measures of the nanoparticles observed in SEM micrographs using ImageJ®. This data showed that more than 70% is anatase (between 20 and 60 nm) with a minor amount of rutile characteristic bars (between 80 and 100 nm) and a small amount of amorphous phase (<40 nm) [36]. Further analysis of the same sample areas with an EDS probe demonstrated the presence of organic material composed of C and O (Fig. 2). This material was found homogeneously distributed on the surface of the different shapes of P25TiO₂NP, not in the background, indicating a specific interaction that could be attributed to the functionalization of the P25TiO₂NPs with vitamin B2.

if you compare the levels—which went as high as 50,000 milligrams/killigrams per day— to what humans are actually exposed to, we're talking orders of magnitude. It was a huge amount, Norbert Kaminski, PhD, a professor of pharmacology & toxicology and director of the Center for Research on Ingredient Safety at Michigan State University told Health.

By reducing processed foods in your diet, you can reduce the likelihood of not only eating titanium dioxide but eating other chemicals of concern, Faber said, noting that consumers can also call their elected representatives urging them to support increased food safety legislation and take action with organization alliances like Toxic Free Food FDA. America, once again, is falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to chemical safety.