An inorganic chemical, titanium dioxide is used as a dye to help products achieve a certain appearance, including whitening a product. Some experts and publications have described it as being akin to a paint primer that's used before the color is added to food in order to give products a uniform shine. Its presence is common in many items beyond Skittles including coffee creamers, cake mixes, and chewing gum. It's also used for pigment and in cosmetics manufacturing.
Lithopone



Following the EU’s ban on E171, the FDA told the Guardian that, based on current evidence, titanium dioxide as a food additive is safe. “The available safety studies do not demonstrate safety concerns connected to the use of titanium dioxide as a color additive.”
Because of its unique properties, titanium dioxide is widely used and is well known in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Titanium dioxide was one of the first materials to be used in nanotechnology products. However, the potential toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles is a controversial subject. Many cosmetic companies use titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Because of its bright whiteness, it is used in products such as paints, coatings, papers, inks, toothpaste, face powder, and food colouring.
Most notably, a European Food Safety Authority safety assessment published in May 2021 pointed to genotoxicity concerns, as suggested by previous research. Genotoxicity is the ability of chemicals to damage genetic information such as DNA, which may lead to cancer.
Lithopone was developed in the 1870s as a substitute for lead carbonate (lead white), to overcome its drawbacks of toxicity and poor weathering resistance. Within a few years, titanium dioxide displaced lithopone to become the white pigment (PW6) par excellence in the industry and the world’s best-selling inorganic pigment. However, titanium is a product whose price is subject to large price variations due to product availability. These price increases affect the competitiveness of finished products, and so the search for an alternative to titanium dioxide has generated a variety of possibilities to optimise its use.