FAQ – EFSA 2021 safety assessment of titanium dioxide (E171)

One of the key challenges facing TiO2 industry suppliers is the fluctuation of raw material prices. The production of TiO2 requires raw materials such as ilmenite or rutile, which are subject to market price volatility. Suppliers must carefully monitor these fluctuations and adjust their production processes accordingly to ensure profitability.

But in 2021, EFSA reevaluated titanium dioxide to consider the impacts of its nanoparticle. After considering more studies, EFSA concluded that nanoparticle-size titanium dioxide can accumulate in the body, break DNA strands and cause chromosomal damage.

In food products, E171 is not a singular ingredient; it’s always combined with other ingredients (e.g., proteins and fats) in the food product. Digesting food is a slow process for the body compared to drinking a beverage, which passes much faster through the body. 

In a 2019 study published in the journal Nanotoxicology, researchers recreated the first phase of digestion in mice and fed them titanium dioxide, then examined whether accumulation occurred in the organs. Researchers wrote: “Significant accumulation of titanium was observed in the liver and intestine of E171-fed mice; in the latter a threefold increase in the number of TiO2 particles was also measured. Titanium accumulation in the liver was associated with necroinflammatory foci containing tissue monocytes/macrophages. Three days after the last dose, increased superoxide production and inflammation were observed in the stomach and intestine. Overall, [this] indicates that the risk for human health associated with dietary exposure to E171 needs to be carefully considered.”

Chemical formula: BaO5S2Zn2

Historically, the first mentions of zinc sulfide being utilized as a pigment were approximately sixty years before the everyday use of lithopone. Originally, it was thought to be appropriate for coloring rubber. In England, a patent was granted for this process. Two decades after this, the focus shifted to zinc sulfide as a suitable pigment for paint. The year 1874 witnessed the patenting of a manufacturing process for a novel white pigment composed of zinc sulfide and barium sulfate. Dubbed Charlton white or Orr’s white enamel, this began a new era for white pigments.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are commonly found in a wide-range of consumer goods, including cosmetics, sunscreens, paints and colorings, ceramics, glass, textiles, construction materials, medicine, food, food packaging, and more. In Europe, cosmetic companies are required to label products that contain nanoparticles. In the U.S., companies are not.

The CaCO3 and TiO2 factory plays a crucial role in producing these materials on a large scale to meet the growing demand from various industries. The factory utilizes advanced technology and processes to extract and refine CaCO3 and TiO2 from natural resources such as limestone and mineral sands. The production process involves crushing, grinding, and chemical treatment to obtain the desired properties of CaCO3 and TiO2.

Titanium dioxide (E 171) is authorised as a food additive in the EU according to Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.  

Faber argued there hasn't been enough change in these federal regulations in the decades following the FDA's approval of titanium dioxide – especially as others increasingly point to potential health consequences.

“Unlike some other chemicals used in food, titanium dioxide has no nutritive, preservative, or food safety function—its use is purely cosmetic,” said CSPI principal scientist for additives and supplements, Thomas Galligan. “The prospect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles damaging DNA is concerning enough for us to recommend consumers avoid foods that have it.”