Abstract
ABSTRACTTitanium dioxide is a white colourant authorised as food additive E171 in the EU and is applied in a range of food products. Currently the EU specifications for E171 do not refer to the characterisation of particle size distribution; however, this may be requested in the near future. Only a few studies have been published to date reporting data on the size distribution of food grade titanium dioxide. The aim of this study was to characterise the size distribution of titanium dioxide particles contained in eight confectionery products and the pristine titanium dioxide samples used in each of the products. This allowed the direct comparison of the particle size distribution in both the pristine and the extracted materials. By using various analytical techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy, single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (sp-ICPMS) and centrifuge liquid sedimentation (CLS) for the characterisation and quantification of the titanium dioxide particle sizes, the impact of the instrumentation on the results was systematically studied. The volume-specific surface area (VSSA) and crystalline structure were also determined for all additives.
Highlights
Titanium dioxide (E171) is an authorised food additive in the EU (European Commission 2011b)
transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of the commercial E171 used in this study revealed that the size of the constituent particles ranged from 40 to FOOD ADDITIVES & CONTAMINANTS: PART A
Pure titanium dioxide exists in three crystal structures, i.e. anatase, rutile and brookite, but only anatase and rutile or mixtures of these two polymorphs are employed in food products (Winkler et al 2018)
Summary
Titanium dioxide (E171) is an authorised food additive in the EU (European Commission 2011b) It is used in a variety of food products such as cheese and cheese products, edible ices, surimi, dressings, nondiary creamers and in personal care products (as CI 77891) such as sun cream and toothpaste and in other consumer products (Weir et al 2012). It is frequently used in chewing gum and in confectionery such as sugar-coated candy and decorations to achieve a white appearance or to make colourants used in food products look brighter and more appealing (Lomer et al 2000; Weir et al 2012; Chen et al 2013; Peters et al 2014; Periasamy et al 2015; Dudefoi et al 2017). The name of the ingredient shall be followed by the word ‘nano’ in brackets
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