What is titanium dioxide? Why is it used in food products?

3.   The calcined product obtained by the ordinary zinc bismuth method is slurried into a slurry, which is sequentially treated with sodium silicate, aluminum sulfate or sodium aluminate and a surfactant, and then filtered, washed, dried and pulverized.

Risks

Titanium dioxide, or TiO2, sometimes referred to as E171, is an inorganic, solid substance used in a wide range of consumer goods including cosmetics, paint, plastic and food, according to the American Chemistry Council.

Store in a cool, ventilated, dry warehouse. Should pay attention to heat and moisture. Store separately from acid products. Lightly load and unload during handling to prevent damage to the packaging. Packed in woven bags lined with polyethylene plastic bags, each bag has a net weight of 25kg. In case of fire, use water and various fire extinguishers to save.

The committee could not finalize the assessment of some other flavoring agents, requiring further information. JECFA highlighted the importance of receiving complete data submissions from the sponsors for conducting the safety evaluation.

Micronized titanium dioxide doesn’t penetrate skin so there’s no need to be concerned about it getting into your body. Even when titanium dioxide nanoparticles are used, the molecular size of the substance used to coat the nanoparticles is large enough to prevent them from penetrating beyond the uppermost layers of skin. This means you’re getting the sun protection titanium dioxide provides with no risk of it causing harm to skin or your body. The coating process improves application, enhances sun protection, and prevents the titanium dioxide from interacting with other ingredients in the presence of sunlight, thus enhancing its stability. It not only makes this ingredient much more pleasant to use for sunscreen, but also improves efficacy and eliminates safety concerns. Common examples of ingredients used to coat titanium dioxide are alumina, dimethicone, silica, and trimethoxy capryl silane.

≥30.0

A review published in 2022 in the journal NanoImpact evaluated the latest research related to genotoxic effects of titanium dioxide through in vivo studies and in vitro cell tests. Researchers summarized the results by stating TiO2 nanoparticles “could induce genotoxicity prior to cytotoxicity,” and “are likely to be genotoxic to humans.”

In a review published in 2022 in the journal Archives of Toxicology, researchers found that the ingestion of E171 is a “a definite health risk for consumers and their progeny.” After reviewing dozens of in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro studies on the toxicity of E171, the researchers wrote that two facts must be noted: “First, reprotoxicity studies show that animals of both sexes are impacted by the toxicity of these nanoparticles, underlining the importance of conducting in vivo studies using both male and female animals. Second, human exposure begins in utero via maternal-fetal transfer and continues after birth by breastfeeding. Children are then chronically re-exposed due to their food preferences. To be relevant to the human in vivo situation, experimental studies should therefore consider nanoparticle exposure with respect to the age or life period of the studied population.”

In addition, lithopone has a strong hiding power beyond zinc oxide. This means less lithopone will have greater coverage and masking power, saving you time and money. No need to worry about multiple coats or uneven finishes anymore - the hiding power of lithopone ensures a flawless, even look in a single application.