Food additive (E 171 or titanium dioxide) used in pastry, banned in the EU

• The European Union has decided to ban the use of titanium dioxide (E 171) as a food additive, starting from 2022. The next step for a healthier diet, from the point of view of NGOs: banning the use of nitrates in food

Food additive (E 171), known as titanium dioxide, used in pastry, banned in the EU - this has been decided The European Commission. The member states approved, at the beginning of October 2021, the proposal of the European Commission to ban the use of titanium dioxide, known as E 171 food additive, starting from 2022.

Exclusion of all food additives considered dangerous

Several European NGOs campaigned for a ban on titanium dioxide across Europe, including Foodwatch. Now they are talking about the fact that the elimination of the food additive E 171 is the first step and argue that the time has come to exclude other substances from the food industry.

"Three hundred and thirty-eight additives are currently authorized in food products in Europe. It is too much, and there is a risk of cocktail effects that are impossible to assess. (…) We must eliminate as a priority those that are controversial because they pose health risks. We shouldn't be fighting for years to ban them one after another. Putting public health first is a right and should be self-evident. Unfortunately, there is still work to be done," said Karine Jacquemart, director of Foodwatch France.

Foodwatch and other NGOs have been working for years to eliminate titanium dioxide from European products. Banning nitrates from food is also on their agenda.

What is the food additive titanium dioxide?

Titanium dioxide is used as a colorant in various products such as pastries, chewing gum, food supplements, soups or broths. E 171 is also used in the preparation of some medicines.

According to the website of the European Commission in Romania, the commissioner for health and food safety, Stella Kyriakides stated that: "The safety of our food and the health of our consumers are not negotiable. We are now acting decisively with Member States, based on sound scientific data, to eliminate a risk linked to a chemical used in food."

Food additive (E 171) used in pastry – "can no longer be considered safe"

The Commission made this proposal based on a scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority. According to him, E 171 can no longer be considered safe when it is used as a food additive. Cause cited: "genotoxicity concerns cannot be ruled out."

We specify that genotoxicity describes the property of chemical agents that damage the genetic information in a cell, causing mutations, which can lead to cancer.

The ban on the use of the food additive E 171 would apply from 2022. Things may change if the Council or the European Parliament passes an objection by the end of the current year. According to the legal provisions, the withdrawal from the market will be carried out gradually. There will be an elimination window for a period of six months. A total ban on the use of the food additive E 171 (titanium dioxide) in food products will then apply.

France has started the exclusions of food additives

We remind you that France has already asked companies in the food sector to remove titanium dioxide from their products. The deadline was January 1, 2020. France notified the European Commission and member states of its decision at that time. On 6 May 2021, the European Food Safety Agency issued a scientific opinion which concluded that titanium dioxide "can no longer be considered safe".

Read on White Art and Titanium dioxide is not safe as a food additive