Do you pay attention to whether titanium dioxide is in the foods you and your family eat and the products you use? If you don’t, you should. As the most widely used whitening pigment in the world, titanium dioxide is applied as a food coloring and whitening agent to numerous foods, including cakes, candies, breads, ice cream, and chewing gum. Yet, it contributes to significant adverse health effects, especially genotoxicity and intestinal inflammation. Noting the alarming health risks, France and the European Union have banned titanium oxide as a food additive. However, in the United States, as pointed out by USRTK, it loads the shelves of grocery stores. The harmful compound is found in candy like Skittles, Starbursts, and Jell-O, chewing gum like Trident White peppermint gum and Mentos Freshmint Gum, cake products like Duncan Hines Creamy Vanilla Frosting, Nabisco Chips Ahoy! cookies, toothpaste, and pharmaceutical tablets are just a few of the countless food items that contain the toxic additive.

Titanium dioxide is in the spotlight thanks to the rapid expansion of nanotechnologies and the increasing use of nanomaterials in consumer products. In recent years, nanoparticles have drawn increased attention due to concerns about their potential health effects, especially when nanoparticles are present in food additives, coatings, or packaging. These ultrafine particles, ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers in diameter, are extremely small—about 800 times thinner than the average human hair, which measures around 80,000 nanometers thick. Their minuscule size, combined with the ability to engineer and manipulate them at the atomic or molecular level, gives nanoparticles unique physical, chemical, and biological properties. At the front of the line, titanium dioxide (TiO₂, called E171 when used as a food coloring) is one of the most widely produced and utilized nanoparticles globally, showing up as a whitening and brightening agent in countless food products (e.g., confectionery, baked goods, sauces), in beverages, toothpaste, and pharmaceutical tablets.

A 2023 study published in Nanotoxicology found that TiO₂ powders include particles ranging from 20 to 400 nm, with up to 55% being nanoparticles (<100 nm). Human dietary intake of TiO₂ varies by age, with estimated daily consumption ranging from 0.03 mg/kg body weight (bw) in infants to 11.5 mg/kg bw in children under 10. The study found that chronic oral exposure to TiO₂ has been linked to particle accumulation in tissues such as the intestine, liver, spleen, kidney, and placenta. Studies in rodent models and cell lines suggest potential adverse effects, including genotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and tumor promotion in the colon. For example, TiO₂ exposure in a colitis-associated colorectal cancer mouse model exacerbated tumor development. These findings stress the need for comprehensive risk assessments of TiO₂ nanoparticles in food and consumer products. Especially knowing that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies TiO₂ in Group 2B as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

Several additional studies suggest that titanium dioxide (TiO₂) poses significant health risks. Research links TiO₂ nanoparticles to genotoxicity (DNA damage leading to potential cancer) and cytotoxicity, which means harmful effects on cells. Evidence from human and animal studies indicates that these nanoparticles are absorbed into the bloodstream, damaging DNA, hindering cell regeneration, and causing chronic inflammation in tissues like the liver, intestine, and brain. Long-term exposure has been associated with neurological impairments, such as Alzheimer’s-related changes, and exacerbation of intestinal diseases like colitis and colorectal cancer.

Moreover, TiO₂ consumption can disrupt gut microbiota, alter immune responses, and weaken the intestinal barrier, contributing to inflammatory bowel diseases and metabolic disorders, including obesity. Studies also highlight neurotoxicity linked to gut-brain axis disruption and impaired respiratory development in offspring following maternal exposure. Additional findings suggest TiO₂ exposure may decrease the bioavailability of nutrients like Vitamin D, impair lipid digestion, and promote noncancerous tumor growth. These risks are particularly concerning for vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, children, and those with preexisting conditions. The cumulative research emphasizes the urgent need for further regulation and reassessment of titanium dioxide as a food additive to mitigate these health hazards.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂), manufactured by companies like Chemours, Kronos, Lomon Billions Group, and Venator, is a chemically inert, insoluble white compound derived from minerals such as rutile, anatase, and brookite. Anatase, while widely used industrially, is the most toxic form. Its use isn’t limited to grocery store shelves. TiO₂ is used in products ranging from paints and plastics to food and cosmetics. As a pigment, it is called Pigment White 6 or CI 77891, and, as previously noted, as a food additive, it is known as E171.

With the swift emergence of nanoparticles, nanotoxicology, the study of nanomaterials’ adverse effects, is becoming more widespread. Evaluating TiO₂ has revealed that its nanoparticles can accumulate in the body, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, spleen, lungs, and even placenta. Again, it can’t be stated enough that these nanoparticles are present in many consumer goods, including food, cosmetics, and medicine. In Europe, cosmetic labels must disclose nanoparticle content. Unfortunately, the U.S. has no such requirement.

And here we are. Despite no warnings from the taxpayer-funded government agencies charged with keeping us safe, research into titanium dioxide and its nanoparticles has repeatedly highlighted serious health concerns. USRTK reports that the FDA has not updated its general guidance on safety assessments since 2007. Nonetheless, a 2017 study by French researchers found that E171 can cross the intestinal barrier, enter the bloodstream, and disrupt the immune system. Evidence also shows that it is transferred from mother to fetus. That’s right, TiO₂ nanoparticles have been found in placentae and infant meconium. And, of course, children are particularly vulnerable due to higher exposure to the ultra-processed foods marketed to them, including sugar-laden candy and cakes. These findings are frightening and underscore the potential adverse health risks associated with TiO₂, especially in its nanoparticle form. Until (and even after) the United States recognizes this toxin, it is critical to pay attention, read labels, and learn about each ingredient in the foods you eat and in the products you use.