This is Why Titanium Dioxide Should Not Be in Food

From summer 2022, titanium dioxide may no longer be used in food. The reason for the ban: possible cancer risks.

That’s what it’s about:

EU bans titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide is a real all-rounder for industry. It is one of the most produced nanoparticles worldwide – up to five million tons of it are produced every year. The whitening agent is in sunscreen, tablets, paints, varnishes, plastics, rubber and paper.

Until now, the additive could also be found in chocolate beans, chewing gum, mayonnaise, mozzarella, marshmallows or glowing icing (for baking professionals: fondant). But that should now be the end of it. Because the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has decided: From the summer of 2022, the white pigment may no longer be used in food. This applies to all countries in the EU. “Food safety and the health of our citizens are non-negotiable,” said EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides. With the ban, the EU is eliminating a food additive that is no longer considered safe.

The designation for the additive in food has so far been: E171 – this code will disappear from the product packaging. The industry has so far used the substance to make food “(…) look shinier and fresher (…)”, says Heidrun Schubert, nutritionist at the Bavarian Consumer Advice Center. Titanium dioxide may continue to be used in cosmetics. There the white pigment is hidden behind the designation CI 77891.

While Great Britain does not want to join the new EU ban and continues to allow the whitening agent in food, the substance is no longer classified as safe in Switzerland either.

That’s why we need to talk about it:

Nanoparticles can enter cells

First of all, titanium dioxide has no other purpose in food than to make it look better – it is not necessary. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles with a size of less than 100 nanometers are problematic. These can penetrate the cells and cause inflammation there , says gastroenterologist Gerhard Rogler from the University of Zurich. The result: possible cancer risks. Titanium dioxide can be absorbed through the digestive tract, skin and respiratory tract.

Intestinal patients are particularly at risk

At the University Hospital Zurich, gastroenterologist Rogler is researching the effect nanoparticles made of titanium dioxide have on our intestines. The results of the research from Switzerland indicate a risk for patients who are susceptible to intestinal inflammation.

“Two percent of the population is at risk of developing intestinal inflammation,” says Rogler and adds: “You then have to decide politically whether the number is high enough to do something. The risk of contracting measles is not high either – but there are good reasons for discussing compulsory vaccination.”

Rogler’s research from 2017 shows that when titanium dioxide nanoparticles collide directly with the cell membrane, they function like small projectiles that can penetrate the membrane and trigger inflammatory processes.

This form of irritation can ultimately lead to the development of tumors . In a further step, the Swiss scientists also administered titanium dioxide nanoparticles to mice. The particles were also able to penetrate into the cell interior of the mice, which led to intestinal inflammation and major damage to the intestinal mucosa. In addition, titanium dioxide crystals accumulated in the spleen of the animals.

Rat study: nanoparticles got into the blood

In 2017, French researchers demonstrated in rats that taking E171 can cause intestinal inflammation and damage the immune system. The experiments showed that titanium dioxide nanoparticles could get into the blood.

However, a transfer of the rat study to humans is not easily possible. According to the researchers from France, it is primarily a study to obtain scientific data, not a risk analysis. But a risk of titanium dioxide damaging the cells could not be ruled out either. And that is why the precautionary principle and the ban on food will apply from summer 2022. It is said that “genotoxicity” cannot be ruled out. Additives that can damage the genetic material, i.e. the DNA, are always referred to as genotoxic.

Inhalation risk

Ingestion through food is not the only problem: If titanium dioxide is inhaled , the whitening agent can be harmful, for example if paint abrasion is released into the air. In such cases, titanium dioxide is classified as ʺprobably carcinogenicʺ by the European Chemicals Agency ECHA .

Therefore, in February 2020, the EU Commission classified titanium dioxide as a hazardous substance with the addition ʺprobably carcinogenic by inhalationʺ . If there is one percent of titanium dioxide particles (diameter of ten micrometers) in liquid mixtures, the following notice must be given: ʺCaution! Dangerous respirable droplets can form when sprayed. Do not breathe aerosol or mist.ʺ

But:

Titanium dioxide can also have benefits

It is not a problem to use titanium dioxide microparticles for tablets because they cannot be absorbed by the body, says gastroenterologist Gerhard Rogler.

Titanium dioxide particles are also found in a special type of sunscreen , often sold as children’s sunscreen. This contains small, white titanium dioxide particles that do not penetrate the skin and reflect the sun. Therefore, when using such creams, the skin often still shimmers white. The small particles on the skin act like a parasol.

Adult sunscreen , on the other hand, contains chemical filters that penetrate the upper layer of the skin and convert the sun’s ultraviolet radiation into heat. The Cosmetics Ordinance applies to sun creams, according to which only certain nanoforms of titanium dioxide are permitted. However, according to the BfR, the currently valid version of the Cosmetics Ordinance must always be taken into account.

And now?

Closing data gaps

EFSA is now following France’s lead and banning titanium dioxide in food across the EU – out of caution. Further studies are now needed that can prove exactly what the nanoparticles actually trigger in our body. In addition, the effects of nanomaterials on the environment are still completely unclear. “Therefore, there is still an urgent need for research,” says nutrition expert Heidrun Schubert.

Ultimately, it is about an additive that is simply not essential . Does chewing gum have to be bright white? no Does toothpaste always have to be white? No, as long as gray pastes also clean the teeth well (they already exist). Does titanium dioxide belong in mozzarella? It has absolutely nothing to do with it.