Abstract
E171 (titanium dioxide) is a food additive that has been authorized for use as a food colorant in the European Union. The application of E171 in food has become an issue of debate, since there are indications that it may alter the intestinal barrier. This work applied standardized and validated methodologies to characterize representative samples of 15 pristine E171 materials based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS). The evaluation of selected sample preparation protocols allowed identifying and optimizing the critical factors that determine the measurement of the particle size distribution by TEM. By combining optimized sample preparation with method validation, a significant variation in the particle size and shape distributions, the crystallographic structure (rutile versus anatase), and the physicochemical form (pearlescent pigments versus anatase and rutile E171) was demonstrated among the representative samples. These results are important for risk assessment of the E171 food additive and can contribute to the implementation of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) guidance on risk assessment of the application of nanoscience and nanotechnologies in the food and feed chain.
Highlights
E171 is a food additive that has been authorized for use as a food colorant in the European Union (EU) [1]
The zeta potential curves of the second group are shifted towards higher pH values and particles have strong negative charges from about pH 8 to pH 11, suggesting that these materials are stable in dispersion at a higher pH than the first group
The magnification selected for the quantitative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis was suitable because a Fmin smaller than the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was measured only for 0.3% of constituent particles, and no particles with a Fmin larger than the upper limit of quantification (ULOQ) were found (Table 1)
Summary
E171 (titanium dioxide) is a food additive that has been authorized for use as a food colorant in the European Union (EU) [1]. It is a white to slightly colored powder that is insoluble in water and organic solvents [2]. In food, both anatase and rutile titanium dioxide are applied [2]. The application of E171 in food was subjected to a (re-)evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2016 [4] and was re-approved for use in food It is commonly applied in confectionery (including candies, chewing gum, glazings) but was demonstrated in pastries, low-fat dairy products, and sauces [5,6,7,8,9]
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