It adds a bright white color to coffee creamers, baked goods, chewing gums, hard-shell candies, puddings, frostings, dressings, and sauces. But the nanoparticles found in “food-grade” titanium dioxide may accumulate in the body and cause DNA damage—which is one way chemicals cause cancer and other health problems. 

≤0.6

Tint reducing power, compared with standard samples

The major restraint to the global Lithopone market is the availability of numerous white pigment substitutes. It can be replaced by other inorganic white pigments such as Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) and Sachtolith. Among these substitutes, the introduction of TiO2 has reduced the commercial importance of Lithopone white pigment. Compared to other white pigments, TiO2 has high brightness and refractive index, which results in lower pigment loading. 

Though the regulated use of titanium dioxide in food products is legal in the U.S. and Canada, it's banned in some other countries, notably throughout Europe. In May 2021, the European Food Safety Authority announced that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive.