Use of Food Additive Titanium Dioxide (E171) before the Introduction of Regulatory Restrictions Due to Concern for Genotoxicity.

Urška Blaznik,Sanja Krušič,Anita Kušar,Igor Pravst,Katja Žmitek,Maša Hribar

doi:10.3390/foods10081910

Abstract

Food-grade titanium dioxide (TiO2; E171) is a coloring food additive. In May 2021, a scientific opinion was published by the European Food Safety Authority concluding that TiO2 can no longer be considered as a safe food additive. Our aim was to investigate the trends in the use of TiO2 in the food supply. A case study was conducted in Slovenia using two nationally representative cross-sectional datasets of branded foods. Analysis was performed on N = 12,644 foods (6012 and 6632 in 2017 and 2020, respectively) from 15 food subcategories where TiO2 was found as a food additive. A significant decrease was observed in the use of TiO2 (3.6% vs. 1.8%; p < 0.01). TiO2 was most often used in the chewing gum category (36.3%) in 2017, and chocolate and sweets category (45.9%) in 2020. Meanwhile, in 2017, the largest share of TiO2-containing foods was observed in the chewing gum category, namely, 70.3%, and these products presented over 85% of the market share. In 2020, only 24.6% of chewing gums contained TiO2, which accounted for only 3% of the market share. In conclusion, we showed an overall decrease in TiO2 use, even though it has not yet been officially removed from the list of authorized food additives.

Highlights

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a transition metal oxide with application as a pigment or photocatalyst [1]
On the basis of the Codex Alimentarius of the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) [1] safety evaluation, TiO2 has been authorized as a food additive by the European Union (EU) with code E171 since 1969 [7]
E171 as a food additive consist of approximately 40% of TiO2 nanosized particles (100 nm) [2,9,10]. As it was permitted for use in the EU before 20 January 2009, it belongs to the group of food additives that are subject to a safety re-evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), according to Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/2010, and in line with the provision of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 [11]

Summary

Introduction

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a transition metal oxide with application as a pigment or photocatalyst [1]. In April 2019, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) delivered a scientific opinion, based on 25 studies published between 2017 and 2019 [27], on the exposure to nanoparticles of TiO2, and highlighted that the previous EFSA assessment did not consider all available data. In response to this opinion [28], the EFSA noted that ANSES reiterated previously identified concerns and data gaps, and did not present findings that changed the Authority’s previous conclusions on the safety of TiO2. The EFSA panel concluded that with consideration of the available evidence, a concern for genotoxicity could not be excluded and, TiO2 could no longer be considered as a safe food additive

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