Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined from the earth, processed and refined, and added to a variety of foods, as well as other consumer products. White in color, it is used to enhance the color and sheen of certain foods and is also key for food safety applications. In its natural state it exists in different bulk crystalline forms, such as anatase and rutile, but during processing it is ground into a very fine powder.

People eating lots of candy should be more worried about the sugar and how it can cause high blood pressure and obesity, says Westerhoff.

While the conclusions of the EU expert panel were considered in this report, Health Canada's Food Directorate conducted its own comprehensive review of the available science. This included evaluating new scientific data that addressed some of the uncertainties identified by the EU expert panel and were not available at the time of their review.    

Lomon, one of the leading titanium dioxide manufacturers in China, produces the R996 grade titanium dioxide with purity levels exceeding 99%. This high purity ensures that the pigment provides excellent hiding power and color retention in paints, making it a popular choice for the paint industry.