Several EU-level civil society organizations have joined forces to call for a ban on the use of food additive titanium dioxide (E171) over concerns about its safety. The demand to remove E171 from the EU list of permitted food additives closely follows an announcement that France plans to prohibit titanium dioxide in food products from January 2020. In a recently published letter to European Commission’s (EC) Vice President, Jyrki Katainen, the organizations say “all Europeans deserve the same high level of protection” against the food additive which has no nutritional value.

“According to EU legislation, a food additive may only be authorized if its use is safe, technologically justified, and if it does not mislead, but on the contrary benefits, the consumer: E171 meets none of these conditions,” says the letter which includes signatories from the European Consumer Organization (BEUC), the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the Safe Food Advocacy Europe (SAFE) and Foodwatch International.

Titanium dioxide is commonly used as a pigment to bring a bright and smooth white appearance to pastries or confectionery or to opacify yogurt or ice cream. It is also used in candy, chewing gum, cake icing and white sauces. In cosmetic and skin care products, titanium dioxide is used as a pigment, sunscreen and a thickener.

In January 2017, the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA) published a study on the ingestion of titanium dioxide, linking it to cellular inflammation phenomena – a potential precursor of carcinogenesis. The study warns that it may pose a health risk because the nano-particles may be able to pass through the protective walls of the lungs, liver and intestines. Other studies also suspect similar effects.Titanium dioxide is commonly used as a pigment to bring a bright and smooth white appearance to pastries, confectionery and cake icing.

Last month France announced that it had adopted a decree to suspend foodstuffs containing E171 from being placed on the French market. The measure will now be examined at a meeting of the EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed taking place on May 13. 

The French decree is based on the precautionary principle after the French food safety agency, ANSES, recently confirmed that significant uncertainties remain as to the health effects for consumers of the additive E171.

“As clearly emerged from the ANSES report, scientific uncertainties and data gaps remain, which do not allow lifting concerns over the potential toxicity of E171 for consumers,” continues the letter. “The 2016 opinion by the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA on E171 also pointed at a lack of data hindering the full safety risk assessment of the additive.”

“The EC should, therefore, apply the precautionary principle and propose to remove E171 from the EU list of permitted food additives. It is remarkable that these uncertainties partly result from manufacturers’ failure to provide the necessary data to conduct the risk assessment.”

The letter also states that there is “no convincing technological need” for the use of E171. Many food manufacturers and retailers operating on the French market have already removed E171 from their products or are in the process of phasing it out, it notes. The move is even spreading beyond Europe, with some multinational companies having committed to remove E171 from their food portfolio.

“E171 is only used for aesthetic purposes. It has no nutritional value, nor does it fulfill any beneficial technological function in food (e.g. extending shelf life),” it says. Last month France adopted a decree to suspend foodstuffs containing E171 from being placed on the French market.

The letter also mentions that tests carried out on the French market by consumer and environmental groups have unveiled the presence of unlabeled nanoparticles of E171 in many popular foodstuffs such as sweets, chewing gums and cakes frequently consumed by children and other vulnerable populations.

However, the Titanium Dioxide Manufacturers Association (TDMA) says it regrets the precautionary decision taken by the French government to suspend the use of E171 and that the French decision does not account for the current weight of scientific evidence. 

“In more than 50 years of use as a colorant, no verifiable link has ever been shown between general intake of titanium dioxide and ill health in humans. As a food additive, E171 has gone through rigorous European testing and classification, which proved that it has not been found to persist or accumulate in the human body or the environment,” TDMA says. 

“The review of E171’s safety by EFSA in 2016 raised no concern over any adverse effects such as inflammatory changes or carcinogenicity. This was confirmed in 2018 despite the submission of four new studies, including the study by the French Institut National pour la Recherche Agronomique (INRA).”

Acknowledging that there have been particular concerns over the determination of an acceptable daily intake (ADI), TDMA, in consultation with EFSA and the EC, has commissioned a study to allow EFSA to determine such ADI. This is now underway, and the final report expected by the end of July 2020.

Increased demand for natural colors
The debate surrounding E171 and the consequent calls for its ban is one of the driving factors behind the increased demand for natural colors. Suppliers are increasing their capacity in a bid to match consumer needs and expectations. 

The importance placed on the visual appeal of products is also growing universally, which provides a challenge for the color industry in matching such expectations. 

Achieving a pure white without using titanium dioxide has always been a challenge and with more people now looking for an alternative product, Sensient is an example of one supplier that has responded through the launch of Avalanche – The New White. The range is designed to best match the performance of titanium dioxide and offers strong whitening with good stability. The ingredient performs well in applications from confectionery such as hard-boiled candies through to sauces and instant beverages. 

By Gaynor Selby