Health Canada's Food Directorate recently completed a “state of the science” report on titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as a food additive. Food-grade TiO₂ is a white powder made up of small particles that has been permitted in Canada and internationally for many years as a food additive to whiten or brighten foods. Food-grade TiO₂ has long been considered safe in Canada and in other countries when eaten as part of the diet.

There are numerous manufacturers of titanium dioxide; the largest include Delaware-based Chemours (a spin-off of DuPont Chemical), Texas-based Kronos, and China-based Lomon Billions Group, all of which manufacture pigments for use in products like paints, coatings, and plastics. UK-based Venator is a major supplier of titanium dioxide used in food and cosmetics, along with paints, paper, plastic, and more. As a pigment, it is called Pigment White 6 (PW6), titanium white, or CI 77891. As a food additive, it is known as E171.

There are many ways we’re exposed to titanium dioxide in our everyday life. Below are the most common ways we encounter titanium dioxide.