This article reviews the uses, benefits, and safety of titanium dioxide.
Still, you may wonder whether it&#;s safe for consumption.
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 ( 1 , 2 ).
One of the most widely used food pigments is titanium dioxide, an odorless powder that enhances the white color or opacity of foods and over-the-counter products, including coffee creamers, candies, sunscreen, and toothpaste ( 1 , 2 ).
From dyes to flavorings, many people are becoming increasingly aware of the ingredients in their food.
Titanium dioxide is a whitening ingredient in foods, cosmetics, and other products. The FDA considers it safe, but high intake could be harmful.
Due to its excellent light-reflecting abilities, titanium dioxide is used in many food and cosmetic products to improve their white color and block ultraviolet rays.
Although cosmetics are not meant for consumption, there are concerns that titanium dioxide in lipstick and toothpaste may be swallowed or absorbed through the skin.
However, since it&#;s photosensitive &#; meaning it can stimulate free radical production &#; it&#;s usually coated in silica or alumina to prevent potential cell damage without reducing its UV-protective properties ( 7 ).
It&#;s particularly useful in sunscreen as it has impressive UV resistance and helps block the sun&#;s UVA and UVB rays from reaching your skin ( 6 ).
Titanium dioxide is widely used as a color-enhancer in cosmetic and over-the-counter products like lipsticks, sunscreens, toothpaste, creams, and powders. It&#;s usually found as nano-titanium dioxide, which is much smaller than the food-grade version ( 7 ).
Furthermore, this packaging has been shown to have both antibacterial and photocatalytic activity, the latter of which reduces ultraviolet (UV) exposure ( 5 , 6 ).
Packaging containing this additive has been shown to decrease ethylene production in fruit, thus delaying the ripening process and prolonging shelf life ( 4 ).
Titanium dioxide is added to some food packaging to preserve the shelf life of a product.
The most common foods containing titanium dioxide are chewing gum , candies, pastries, chocolates, coffee creamers, and cake decorations ( 1 , 3 ).
To be added to food, this additive must achieve 99% purity. However, this leaves room for small amounts of potential contaminants like lead, arsenic, or mercury ( 1 ).
Most food-grade titanium dioxide is around 200&#;300 nanometers (nm) in diameter. This size allows for ideal light scattering, resulting in the best color ( 1 ).
Due to its light-scattering properties, small amounts of titanium dioxide are added to certain foods to enhance their white color or opacity ( 1 , 3 ).
Titanium dioxide has many purposes in both food and product development.
In recent decades, concerns for the risks of titanium dioxide consumption have grown.
Though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes titanium dioxide as Generally Recognized as Safe (8), other organizations have issued warnings.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that titanium oxide should not be considered safe as a food additive, due to uncertainties about possible inflammation and neurotoxicity (9).
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The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) warns against sprayable products and powders that may expose users&#; lungs to titanium dioxide through inhalation (10).
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has listed titanium dioxide as a Group 2B carcinogen &#; an agent that may be carcinogenic but lacks sufficient animal and human research. This has caused concern for its safety in food products (11, 12).
This classification was given, as some animal studies found that inhaling titanium dioxide dust might cause the development of lung tumors. However, IARC concluded that food products containing this additive do not pose this risk (11).
Therefore, today, they only recommend limiting titanium dioxide inhalation in industries with high dust exposure, such as paper production (11).
There is some concern regarding skin and intestinal absorption of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which are less than 100 nm in diameter.
Some small test-tube research has shown that these nanoparticles are absorbed by intestinal cells and may lead to oxidative stress and cancer growth. However, other research has found limited to no effects (13, 14, 15).
Moreover, a study noted that food-grade titanium dioxide was larger and not nanoparticles. Hence, the authors concluded that any titanium dioxide in food is absorbed poorly, posing no risk to human health (3).
Finally, research has shown that titanium dioxide nanoparticles do not pass the first layer of the skin &#; the stratum corneum &#; and are not carcinogenic (7, 15).
Some research in rats has observed titanium dioxide accumulation in the liver, spleen, and kidneys. That said, most studies use doses higher than what you would typically consume, making it difficult to know if these effects would happen in humans (16).
A review by the European Food Safety Authority concluded that titanium dioxide absorption is extremely low and any absorbed particles are mostly excreted through feces (17).
However, they did find that minor levels of 0.01% were absorbed by immune cells &#; known as gut-associated lymphoid tissue &#; and may be delivered to other organs. Currently, it&#;s unknown how this may affect human health (17).
Although most studies to date show no harmful effects of titanium dioxide consumption, few long-term human studies are available. Therefore, more research is needed to better understand its role in human health (16, 18).
SummaryTitanium dioxide is classified as a Group 2B carcinogen as animal studies have linked its inhalation to lung tumor development. However, no research has shown that titanium dioxide in food harms your health.
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When it serves as a sun filter, it is in nanometric form (in physics, related to nanometer, length unit measure equal to one billionth of meter), so it is more efficient. In its other uses, it is used in non-nanometric form.
We use titanium dioxide in nanometric form only when it improves the product performance - quality, comfort, texture. When we use titanium dioxide in nanometric form, it is clearly indicated on the product packaging, in the countries where the regulation requires it.
We only use nanometric titanium dioxide in products that cannot be inhaled or swallowed. We do not use it in aerosols or lip products.
The type of titanium dioxide used in cosmetics does not impact plankton in the aquatic environment.
This type should not be confused with other types of titanium dioxide used in products other than cosmetics.
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