Pigment White 5; CI 77115; Deckweiss (Deut.); Lithopone (Deut.); litopón (Esp.); lithopone (Fr.); lithoponio (Gr.); litopone (It.); lithopoon (Ned.); litopone (Port.); Orr's white; oleum white; Griffiths zinc white; Sterling white; Albalith; Charlton white; Ponolith; Jersey Lily white; Sunotlith; Beckton white; Zincolith

After oral ingestion, the absorption of titanium dioxide particles is low, however they can accumulate in the body, Maged Younes, chair of the European Food Safety Authority's expert Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings, said in a May 2021 statement.

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

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.

The produced barium sulfide enters the leacher, and the temperature is controlled above 65°C to obtain a barium sulfide content of 70%, and then enters the clarification barrel, add zinc sulfate for reaction after clarification, control the zinc sulfate content to be greater than 28%, pH=8~9, and obtain a mixture of barium sulfate and zinc sulfide with a density of 1.296~1.357 g/cm3.

Yet another study, this one published in 2006 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer said there was insufficient evidence to conclude that titanium dioxide causes cancer. However, the study also categorized the ingredient as a potential human carcinogen.

By reducing processed foods in your diet, you can reduce the likelihood of not only eating titanium dioxide but eating other chemicals of concern, Faber said, noting that consumers can also call their elected representatives urging them to support increased food safety legislation and take action with organization alliances like Toxic Free Food FDA. America, once again, is falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to chemical safety.

There are numerous manufacturers of titanium dioxide; the largest include Delaware-based Chemours (a spin-off of DuPont Chemical), Texas-based Kronos, and China-based Lomon Billions Group, all of which manufacture pigments for use in products like paints, coatings, and plastics. UK-based Venator is a major supplier of titanium dioxide used in food and cosmetics, along with paints, paper, plastic, and more. As a pigment, it is called Pigment White 6 (PW6), titanium white, or CI 77891. As a food additive, it is known as E171.

Lithopone is added to plastic resin systems to enhance UV protection of the final plastic products that includes outdoor plastics and automotive plastics. It is used as a white pigment for plastics such as polyolefin, vinyl resin, ABS resin, polystyrene, polycarbonate, nylon, and polyoxymethylene (POM). It ensures that UV rays do not penetrate and damage the product and its appearance.  

The concern from animal studies is that high amounts of titanium dioxide have increased inflammation and colon tumor formation, said Dr. Johnson-Arbor. A 2021 review, meanwhile, suggested that using titanium dioxide as a food additive weakens the gut lining and worsens the progression of inflammatory bowel disease.

Although barium sulfate is almost completely inert, zinc sulfide degrades upon exposure to UV light, leading to darkening of the pigment. The severity of this UV reaction is dependent on a combination of two factors; how much zinc sulfide makes up the pigments formulation, and its total accumulated UV exposure. Depending on these factors Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder itself may vary in shade over time, ranging from pure white all the way to grey or even black. To suppress this effect, a dopant might be used, like small amount of cobalt salts, which would be added to the formulation. This process creates cobalt-doped zinc sulfide. The cobalt salts help to stabilize zinc sulfide so it will not have as severe a reaction to UV exposure.

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In its statement to USA TODAY, the FDA maintained that, in all post-approvals for food additives, our scientists continue to review relevant new information to determine whether there are safety questions and whether the use of such substance is no longer safe under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

In a study published in the journal Toxicology, researchers examined the effects of exposing human colon cancer cell line (HTC116) titanium dioxide food additives in vitro. “In the absence of cytotoxicity, E171 was accumulated in the cells after 24 hours of exposure, increasing granularity and reactive oxygen species, inducing alterations in the molecular pattern of nucleic acids and lipids, and causing nuclei enlargement, DNA damage and tubulin depolymerization,” the scientists wrote. Researchers removed the additive from the culture, then examined the results 48 hours later. They found, “The removal of E171 was unable to revert the alterations found after 24 h of exposure in colon cells. In conclusion, exposure to E171 causes alterations that cannot be reverted after 48 h if E171 is removed from colon cells.”