- The European Commission will propose to member states the withdrawal of titanium dioxide (E171), after the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) issued on May 6 a scientific opinion concluding that titanium dioxide "can no longer be considered safe as an additive food"
- Rice starch, possible substitute for titanium dioxide in confectionery
Titanium dioxide, also known as the dye E171, a pigment used to obtain the white color in a wide range of food products, "can no longer be considered safe as a food additive". The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued, on May 6, a scientific opinion in this regard.
E171 is widely used as a colorant in a number of foods such as confectionery, cakes, desserts, ice cream, biscuits, chocolate bars, bakery and pastry products or food supplements. It has no nutritional or functional benefits in food.
EFSA's explanation
"Taking into account all available studies and scientific data, the panel concluded that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive", said an EFSA statement, citing a senior official, Professor Maged Younes. "A decisive factor in reaching this conclusion was that we could not rule out genotoxicity issues after consuming titanium dioxide particles. After oral ingestion, the absorption of titanium dioxide particles is reduced, but they can accumulate in the body", he added. Genotoxicity refers to the ability of a chemical to damage DNA, the genetic material of cells, which can then lead to carcinogenic effects.
A transition period is coming
The European Commission will propose to member states the withdrawal of titanium dioxide (E171) after the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) announced that it is not safe for consumption. However, given that EFSA has not identified any immediate and acute health concerns, no immediate action will be implemented.
Instead, an appropriate transition period will be discussed with the EU-27 countries to allow the substance to be replaced where necessary, the spokesperson said, the Commission spokesperson explained.
What could be the implications?
This is in order to "determine what the implications might be for the FDA's evaluation of the safety in use of titanium dioxide", as it is currently approved in the United States, as an additive excluded from certification. Food coloring suppliers, meanwhile, have come up with a number of offers on how best to replace the bleaching agent, which is used in a variety of well-known brands.
More than 11.000 US food products contain titanium dioxide
According to Thea Bourianne, manager, consulting solutions at Label Insight, more than 11.000 products in its (US) food and beverage database contain titanium dioxide, with candy (32 %), followed by muffins and snacks (14%), cookies (8%), bagels (7%), baking decorations (6%), chewing gum (4%) and ice cream (2%). She added: "Titanium dioxide is very likely to be used in many more food products because it is a color that does not require an explicit mention in the ingredient list."
Replacing titanium dioxide in food products, a challenge?
David Rigg, global marketing director at Sensiest Food Colors, said his company had been working for several years to find suitable alternatives to titanium dioxide in light of signals from regulators and other organisations. "The white pigment is used in almost everything from chewing gum and candies to pastries, coffee creamer, cake toppings, fillings, sauces, pet food and powdered soft drinks due to certain characteristics special properties: resistance to thermal processing and the influence of light, suitable pH and insoluble in water," Rigg said. Which stated that “it is a challenge to exceptionally replace titanium dioxide in all recipes. Titanium dioxide is an excellent bleaching pigment and is also quite cost effective”.
The cost difference
Price can also be a barrier to the technologies, added Rigg, who said Sensient has been able to reduce costs quite a bit for some applications. “There are generally no cost-neutral options available. Over the past few years, we have worked hard to close the cost gap between titanium dioxide and the various alternatives in the Avalanche range, and have achieved success in some applications, such as dragee confections.”
Rice starch, possible substitute for titanium dioxide in confectionery
Joe O'Neill, vice president of sales and business development at A&B Ingredients, suggests rice starches as a substitute for titanium dioxide. And it claims that these starches are suitable to replace titanium dioxide in confectionery and chewing gums due to their small particle size and natural bleaching capacity.
