E171 — Titanium dioxide
E171 (Titanium dioxide), a color, is rated "avoid": worth avoiding. A bright white food coloring. The EU banned it as a food additive in 2022 after EFSA concluded it could damage DNA. The FDA still permits it.
Is titanium dioxide bad for you? →
What is Titanium dioxide?
A bright white powder used to whiten and brighten food. Common in chewing gum, white frosting, candy coatings, mints, and some pastries.
What does it do to the body?
Contains tiny enough particles to enter cells, and EFSA concluded in 2021 that genotoxicity could not be ruled out. Daily consumers of products like white-coated gum or candy had the highest realistic exposure. Easy to avoid now in the EU since it has been banned.
What regulators say
The EU banned it as a food additive in August 2022 following EFSA's 2021 "no longer considered safe" opinion. The FDA still permits it, which is why many American sweets contain it while European versions do not.
Risk rating: Avoid
Known or suspected to cause harm: a substance EFSA or another regulator has flagged, or one restricted in some jurisdictions. Best kept out of a regular diet.
Source: EFSA — titanium dioxide no longer safe (2021) ↗