A few non-dietary studies have reported adverse effects in the gastrointestinal tract of laboratory animals given food-grade TiO2. However, these same effects were not seen when the same or higher doses of food-grade TiO2 were administered in the animals' diet. Dietary studies best reflect how humans are exposed to TiO2 from food. Thus, the Food Directorate placed the most emphasis on the results of these studies in the state of the science report.
Lithopone was discovered in the 1870s by DuPont. It was manufactured by Krebs Pigments and Chemical Company and other companies.[2] The material came in different seals, which varied in the content of zinc sulfide. Gold seal and Bronze seals contain 40-50% zinc sulfide, offering more hiding power and strength.[3] Although its popularity peaked around 1920, approximately 223,352 tons were produced in 1990. It is mainly used in paints, putty, and in plastics.[1]
The European Food Safety Authority updated its safety assessment of the mineral in March 2020, stating that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive. This was due to evidence of potentially harmful effects after consumption of the mineral, which may accumulate in the body over time.
In their role as risk managers, the European Commission and Member States will now reflect on EFSA’s scientific advice and decide upon any appropriate regulatory measures or advice for consumers.
The evidence also suggests that the toxicity of TiO2 particles may be reduced when eaten as part of the diet. This is because proteins and other molecules in a person's diet can bind to the TiO2 particles. This binding alters the physical and chemical properties of the particles, which influences how they interact with cells, tissues and organs.
Authors like to thank Sebastián García (LAMARX) for spectra acquisition, Carolina Leimbruguer for her support with TEM images and Yanina Altamirano, Nicolas Jaime and Javier Reparaz for animal care assistance.
EU ban on titanium dioxide


Ability to scatter and absorb UV radiation makes TiO2 a crucial ingredient for sunscreen, protecting the skin from harmful, cancer-causing UV rays.
The chemical is also found in common household and industrial products such as paints, coatings, adhesives, paper, plastics and rubber, printing inks, coated fabrics and textiles, as well as ceramics.


Apart from proximately neuromorphic technologies, TiO2-based memristors have also found application in various sensors. The principle of memristive sensorics is based on the dependency of the resistive switching on various external stimuli. This includes recording of mechanical energy (Vilmi et al., 2016), hydrogen detection (Hossein-Babaei and Rahbarpour, 2011; Strungaru et al., 2015; Haidry et al., 2017; Vidiš et al., 2019), γ-ray sensing (Abunahla et al., 2016), and various fluidic-based sensors, such as sensors for pH (Hadis et al., 2015a) and glucose concentration (Hadis et al., 2015b). In addition, TiO2 thin films may generate photoinduced electron–hole pairs, which give rise to UV radiation sensors (Hossein-Babaei et al., 2012). Recently, the biosensing properties of TiO2-based memristors have been demonstrated in the detection of the bovine serum albumin protein molecule (Sahu and Jammalamadaka, 2019). Furthermore, this work has also demonstrated that the introduction of an additional graphene oxide layer may effectively prevent the growth of multidimensional and random conductive paths, resulting in a lower switching voltage, better endurance, and a higher resistance switching ratio. This opens up a new horizon for further functional convergence of metal oxides and two-dimensional memristive materials and interfaces (Zhang et al., 2019a).
However, it can cause photosensitivity, which is why it’s often combined with silica or alumina to prevent cell damage.
Apart from proximately neuromorphic technologies, TiO2-based memristors have also found application in various sensors. The principle of memristive sensorics is based on the dependency of the resistive switching on various external stimuli. This includes recording of mechanical energy (Vilmi et al., 2016), hydrogen detection (Hossein-Babaei and Rahbarpour, 2011; Strungaru et al., 2015; Haidry et al., 2017; Vidiš et al., 2019), γ-ray sensing (Abunahla et al., 2016), and various fluidic-based sensors, such as sensors for pH (Hadis et al., 2015a) and glucose concentration (Hadis et al., 2015b). In addition, TiO2 thin films may generate photoinduced electron–hole pairs, which give rise to UV radiation sensors (Hossein-Babaei et al., 2012). Recently, the biosensing properties of TiO2-based memristors have been demonstrated in the detection of the bovine serum albumin protein molecule (Sahu and Jammalamadaka, 2019). Furthermore, this work has also demonstrated that the introduction of an additional graphene oxide layer may effectively prevent the growth of multidimensional and random conductive paths, resulting in a lower switching voltage, better endurance, and a higher resistance switching ratio. This opens up a new horizon for further functional convergence of metal oxides and two-dimensional memristive materials and interfaces (Zhang et al., 2019a).