R-5566:
Titanium Dioxide/TiO2/Titanium Oxide Free Sample
LITHOPONE
Following a request for assessment in 2020 by the EU, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed E171, particularly for its genotoxicity. In 2022, the agency deemed the food additive no longer safe for use.
North America
≤0.4
Though the regulated use of titanium dioxide in food products is legal in the U.S. and Canada, it's banned in some other countries, notably throughout Europe. In May 2021, the European Food Safety Authority announced that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive.
The brands of lithopone of the normal class, that of chemical manufacture, are marketed under such names as Ponolith, Beckton White, Jersey Lily White, Oleum White, Zinc Sulphide White, all of these being of domestic manufacture, and their composition is of the 30 per cent. zinc sulphide type. The German manufacturers and exporters of lithopone make use of fancy names for their brands and here are a few examples of these and the composition of the pigment:-
Barium sulphate, a chemical compound with the formula BaSO₄, is widely recognized for its numerous applications in various industries, particularly in the field of medicine, paints, plastics, and as a component in drilling fluids. One of the distinguishing features of barium sulphate is its striking physical property its color. Understanding the color of barium sulphate not only helps in identifying the compound during handling but also plays a significant role in its applications and quality assessment.
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a fine white powder or dust that occurs naturally. It was first intentionally produced for use as a white pigment in 1923.
On absorption of UV light, photo-generated titanium dioxide particles create singlet oxygen, superoxide anions (O2-) and hydroxyl radicals (OH-) that are potent free radicals (1,2). Irradiated particles of titanium dioxide can induce oxidative damage to DNA (2) which can lead to the development of mutant cells and skin cancers (3,4,5,6) and lipid peroxidation of essential functions on the cell membrane (7).
The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety issued an opinion of the safety of titanium dioxide in food, stating that it should no longer be considered as safe when used as a food additive.
How we’re exposed to an ingredient matters greatly in terms of our long-term health.
Research shows that inhaling titanium dioxide particles in significant quantities over time can cause adverse health outcomes. Unless you work in an industrial setting, inhaling substantial amounts of titanium dioxide is highly unlikely.
Pure titanium dioxide is a fine, white powder that provides a bright, white pigment. Titanium dioxide has been used for a century in a range of industrial and consumer products, including paints, coatings, adhesives, paper, plastics and rubber, printing inks, coated fabrics and textiles, as well as ceramics, floor coverings, roofing materials, cosmetics, toothpaste, soap, water treatment agents, pharmaceuticals, food colorants, automotive products, sunscreen and catalysts.




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