The FDA continues to allow for the safe use of titanium dioxide as a color additive in foods generally according to the specifications and conditions, including that the quantity of titanium dioxide does not exceed 1% by weight of the food, the FDA said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Nano-sized TiO2 generally shows low or no acute toxicity in both invertebrates and vertebrates. However, exposure of Daphnia magna to 20 ppm TiO2 for 8 consecutive days was found to cause 40 % mortality. Zhu et al. showed minimal toxicity to D. magna after 48 h exposure, while upon chronic exposure for 21 days, D. magna suffered severe growth retardation and mortality. A significant amount of nano-sized TiO2 was found also accumulated in the body of the animals. Similar findings with coated nano-sized TiO2 (T-Lite™ SF, T-Lite™ SF-S and T-Lite™ MAX; BASF SE) were reported by Wiench et al. Biochemical measurements showed that exposure to TiO2 NPs induces significant concentration-dependent antioxidant enzyme activities in D. magna. Lee et al. showed that 7 and 20 nm-sized TiO2 induced no genotoxic effect in D. magna and in the larva of the aquatic midge Chironomus riparius.
The production of Chinese anatase titanium dioxide involves a series of complex chemical processes, including hydrolysis and calcination of titanium precursors. These processes result in the formation of nanoscale particles of anatase titanium dioxide, which exhibit enhanced properties such as increased surface area and improved reactivity. The size and morphology of these nanoparticles can be controlled during the synthesis process, allowing for the production of tailored materials with specific properties for different applications.