Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder is also widely applied in paints and enamels

A significant body of research, mostly from rodent models and in vitro studies, has linked titanium dioxide with health risks related to the gut, including intestinal inflammation, alterations to the gut microbiota, and more. It is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Group 2B, as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

Well asides from making you re-think that M & M addiction (chocolate coated in Titanium Dioxide…..anyone?!)

It adds a bright white color to coffee creamers, baked goods, chewing gums, hard-shell candies, puddings, frostings, dressings, and sauces. But the nanoparticles found in “food-grade” titanium dioxide may accumulate in the body and cause DNA damage—which is one way chemicals cause cancer and other health problems. 

Calcium carbonate is a naturally occurring mineral that is found in rocks and minerals such as calcite, aragonite, and limestone. It is commonly used in industries such as paint, paper, plastics, and rubber as a filler and pigment. The manufacturing process of calcium carbonate involves extracting the mineral from quarries or mines, crushing and grinding it into a fine powder, and then purifying it through various chemical processes.

Titanium dioxide is one of the most widely used white pigments, often used to add whiteness and brightness to products. It is used in the production of paints, coatings, plastics and other products to provide a white color or opacity.

We’re most often exposed to E171 through the foods we ingest. We find E171 in many food products, like popsicles, ice cream, gum, and more. Another way we ingest E171 is through pharmaceutical drugs. Many pills and capsules contain E171 as an inactive ingredient.  

Appearance:

European food safety regulators have since labeled titanium dioxide as no longer safe for human consumption, due to its potential toxicity. 

Variations of titanium dioxide are added to enhance the whiteness of paint, plastics, and paper products, though these variations differ from the food-grade ones for things we eat (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

Yes. According to the FDA and other regulatory agencies globally, “titanium dioxide may be safely used for coloring foods”. Titanium dioxide is safe to use, and the FDA provides strict guidance on how much can be used in food. The amount of food-grade titanium dioxide that is used is extremely small; the FDA has set a limit of 1 percent titanium dioxide for food. There is currently no indication of a health risk at this level of exposure through the diet.

The skin of an adult person is, in most places, covered with a relatively thick (∼10 μm) barrier of keratinised dead cells. One of the main questions is still whether TiO₂ NPs are able to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. The majority of studies suggest that TiO₂ NPs, neither uncoated nor coated (SiO₂, Al₂O₃ and SiO₂/Al₂O₃) of different crystalline structures, penetrate normal animal or human skin. However, in most of these studies the exposures were short term (up to 48 h); only few long-term or repeated exposure studies have been published. Wu et al.83 have shown that dermal application of nano-TiO₂ of different crystal structures and sizes (4–90 nm) to pig ears for 30 days did not result in penetration of NPs beyond deep epidermis. On the other hand, in the same study the authors reported dermal penetration of TiO₂ NPs with subsequent appearance of lesions in multiple organs in hairless mice, that were dermal exposed to nano-TiO₂ for 60 days. However, the relevance of this study for human exposure is not conclusive because hairless mice skin has abnormal hair follicles, and mice stratum corneum has higher lipid content than human stratum corneum, which may contribute to different penetration. Recently Sadrieh et al. performed a 4 week dermal exposure to three different TiO₂ particles (uncoated submicron-sized, uncoated nano-sized and coated nano-sized) in 5 % sunscreen formulation with minipigs. They found elevated titanium levels in epidermis, dermis and in inguinal lymph nodes, but not in precapsular and submandibular lymph nodes and in liver. With the energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis the authors confirmed presence of few TiO₂ particles in dermis and calculated that uncoated nano-sized TiO₂ particles observed in dermis represented only 0.00008 % of the total applied amount of TiO₂ particles. Based on the same assumptions used by the authors in their calculations it can be calculated that the total number of particles applied was 1.8 × 10¹³ /cm² and of these 1.4 x10⁷/cm² penetrated. The surface area of skin in humans is around 1.8 m²  and for sun protection the cream is applied over whole body, which would mean that 4 week usage of such cream with 5 % TiO₂ would result in penetration of totally 2.6 × 10¹⁰ particles. Although Sadrieh et al.concluded that there was no significant penetration of TiO₂ NPs through intact normal epidermis, the results are not completely confirmative.

It turns into light gray after being exposed to ultraviolet rays in sunlight for 6 to 7 hours, but it will return to its original color when placed in a dark place. It is easy to oxidize in the air and then agglomerate and deteriorate when exposed to moisture.

In a 2016 study published in Scientifica (Cairo), Egyptian researchers examined the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the organs of mice by orally administering the food additive daily, for five days. The results showed that the exposure produced “mild to moderate changes in the cytoarchitecture of brain tissue in a time dependent manner.” Furthermore, “Comet assay revealed the apoptotic DNA fragmentation, while PCR-SSCP pattern and direct sequencing showed point mutation of Presenilin 1 gene at exon 5, gene linked to inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease.” The researchers wrote: “From these findings, “the present study concluded that TiO2NPs is genotoxic and mutagenic to brain tissue which in turn might lead to Alzheimer’s disease incidence.”