The Titanium dioxide (TiO2) It is a white compound with a slight sheen that has been in use for over a century in paints, plastics, paper, medicines, sun creams and food, amongst other products.
Following the publication of a report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Commission has decided to ban its use as a food additive.
Titanium dioxide– The Titanium dioxide (TiO2) It is a white powder that has traditionally been used as an ingredient in a wide range of industries. The bright white colour of this compound, combined with its great ability to whiten and alter the texture of any other substance, has meant that the Titanium dioxide has an endless variety of uses: it is found in everything from paints and paper manufacturing to toothpaste and even in the aerospace industry, where it is used to create certain plastics capable of scattering and absorbing ultraviolet radiation – a technology which, incidentally, is also used by the protectores solares.
It is also relatively easy to find it as food additive, since it is used as a pigment in a wide range of products (flour, bread and any processed food you can think of that, for marketing reasons, someone decides to «whiten») and also as a texturiser in all kinds of soups and cream soups.
The uses of the titanium dioxide have evolved over time. Today, the range of applications for this product is astonishing. And many of them, incidentally, relate to the fight against deforestation and climate change. It is probably this widespread use that has prompted the European Commission to investigate the «safety» of this compound for EU citizens. And, of course, this has involved conducting extensive scientific research into the properties of this ingredient in the food industry. In this context, incidentally, it is usually known by another name, which is the one used on food labels: E171.
Titanium dioxide: What does the EFSA’s research say about the use of E171 as a food additive?
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) It had already carried out a review of the safety of the food additive E171 in 2016. That initial study essentially established a complete lack of relevant scientific data on the subject. Since then, EFSA has continued to gather further data on scientific research relating to titanium dioxide as a food additive (E171).
In March 2020, the European Commission it again asked the EFSA for its opinion on the use of titanium dioxide in feed. And in this second study, published by the European Food Safety Authority In early May 2021, the Agency did indeed provide us with some interesting statements:
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- The titanium dioxide It can no longer be considered safe as a food additive.
- It has not been possible to establish a safe level for the daily intake of titanium dioxide.
- We cannot rule out the genotoxicity following the ingestion of titanium dioxide particles.
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This second EFSA study has therefore identified problems with titanium dioxide, linked to its genotoxicity. But… do you know what that is?
On the genotoxicity of titanium dioxide: why is it not considered safe?
Generally speaking, the genotoxicity refers to «the ability of a chemical substance to cause harm to the DNA, »the genetic material of cells’. Genotoxicity is associated with carcinogenic effects, which are particularly serious for human health. And, therefore, it must never be taken lightly.
In fact, the study acknowledges that it has not been possible to establish the toxic potential of this ingredient. At the same time, however, it also states that genotoxicity – which was EFSA’s main concern as early as the first study in 2016 – cannot be ruled out.
And this lack of knowledge regarding the effects that a high accumulation of titanium dioxide in the body may have on human health has already been reason enough to withdraw it from the market as a food additive.
The European Commission’s response to the study on the safety of titanium dioxide as a food additive presented by EFSA
After reviewing the EFSA report, the European Commission decided on 14 January last to ban the use of titanium dioxide as the food additive E171. This means, therefore, that all food companies will have to stop using it and adapt their products to a new formula within the six-month period provided for in the regulations to make this change.
If you have any questions about the EFSA study or its conclusions, please visit this page, where you will find information about the study and a section with frequently asked questions:
How does the ban on this food additive affect the cosmetics sector?
On the face of it, all the studies carried out make it clear that only Its use in the food sector is being called into question, but not in any other sector. So, in principle, as things stand today, There is no compelling reason for companies in the cosmetics sector to stop using this ingredient and/or replace it with a safer one.
However, it is important to be aware of the sector in which we work: the the use of nanomaterials in the cosmetics sector is, as things stand, a recurring controversy. And the titanium dioxide It is frequently used in the form of nanoparticles. Therefore, realistically speaking, it cannot be ruled out that, in the near future, the European Commission may end up taking similar measures regarding titanium dioxide in the cosmetics sector as well.
Of course, this would first require a completely separate study into the risks to human health posed by the cosmetic ingredient titanium dioxide. As far as we are aware, this is not currently being done.
Do you have any questions about the latest developments in the food sector? Get in touch!