Additives
Titanium Dioxide (E171): What It Is and Is It Safe?
Hazardous
Colour · Mineral pigment
White pigment used to make foods appear whiter. BANNED in the EU since August 2022 following EFSA concluding it can no longer be considered safe - concerns about genotoxicity (potential DNA damage). Still permitted in the USA and UK. Avoid where possible.
- Category
- Colour — Mineral pigment
- Typically used in
- Sweets, chewing gum, icing, sauces
- Regulatory status
- BANNED in EU since 2022. Still permitted USA/UK.
- Concerns flagged
-
Carcinogenicity concernGenotoxicity concern
Sources
Where this comes from
- EFSA (2016) — Re-evaluation of titanium dioxide -E 171- as a food additive http://dx.doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4545
- EFSA (2021) — Safety assessment of titanium dioxide (E 171) as a food additive – no longer considered safe https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6585
Products
Products containing Titanium Dioxide
We're building product pages that show real UK products containing Titanium Dioxide, using Open Food Facts data. They'll appear here soon — in the meantime, scan any barcode with the Scrannr app to check for it instantly.