There are many ways we’re exposed to titanium dioxide in our everyday life. Below are the most common ways we encounter titanium dioxide. 

In summary, the Food Directorate's position is that there is no conclusive scientific evidence that the food additive TiO₂ is a concern for human health. This is based on a review of the available scientific data relevant to food uses of TiO₂. However, we will continue to monitor the emerging science on the safety of TiO₂ as a food additive and may revisit our position if new scientific information becomes available.

Drobne et al. used the terrestrial arthropod Porcellio scaber as a test organism for determining the cytotoxic effect of TiO₂ NPs (anatase). The animals were exposed to TiO₂ NPs of two different sizes (25 nm and 75 nm) in the concentration range 10–1000 μg TiO₂/g dry food for 3 to 14 days. No adverse effects, such as mortality, body weight changes or reduced feeding, were observed. In fact, quite the opposite, an enhanced feeding rate, food absorption efficiency and increase in catalase activity were observed. The intensity of these responses appeared to be time- but not dose-dependent. It should also be noted that the concentrations tested in this study were much higher than the predicted concentration (4.8 μg/g soil) at high emission scenario of nano-sized TiO₂. Using the same test organism another group showed that exposure to TiO₂ NPs induced destabilization of cell membrane in the epithelium of digestive glands isolated from exposed animals. They also showed that this effect can be observed after just 30 minutes of exposure.

Fig. 6. AOPP measured on samples of MSSA with: A) 0.2 mg/mL P25TiO₂NPs; B) 0.02 mg/mL P25TiO₂NPs; C) 0.2 mg/mL VitaminB2@P25TiO₂NPs; D) 0.02 mg/mL VitaminB2@P25TiO₂NPs after 3 h of irradiation (red) and 6 h (blue). SD <1 (error bars too small to be seen) and p < 0.05 between C-D and A-B.

How Is Titanium Dioxide Made?

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.

In a 2021, Chinese researchers examined the impact of E171 on lipid digestion and vitamin D3 bioaccessibility in a simulated human gastrointestinal tract model. They examined Vitamin D’s bioaccessibility, or the amount it was released in the gastrointestinal tract, becoming available for absorption, and found it “significantly decreased from 80% to 74%” with the addition of E171. In the experiment, E171 decreased lipid digestion dose-dependently. Researchers wrote: “The findings of this study enhance our understanding toward the potential impact of E171 on the nutritional attributes of foods for human digestion health.”  The study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 

The brands of lithopone of the normal class, that of chemical manufacture, are marketed under such names as Ponolith, Beckton White, Jersey Lily White, Oleum White, Zinc Sulphide White, all of these being of domestic manufacture, and their composition is of the 30 per cent. zinc sulphide type. The German manufacturers and exporters of lithopone make use of fancy names for their brands and here are a few examples of these and the composition of the pigment:-

4. Should I stop eating products that contain TiO₂?

≥ 5 % of standard sample