Titanium Dioxide: E171 no longer considered safe when used as a food additive by European Food Safety Authority, May 6, 2021
As more industries recognize the potential of anatase in improving their products' performance and efficiency, the demand for this compound is expected to rise As more industries recognize the potential of anatase in improving their products' performance and efficiency, the demand for this compound is expected to riseanatase price. For instance, the growing need for eco-friendly solutions in the construction industry has led to an increased demand for anatase-based photocatalytic coatings that can help reduce air pollution. Similarly, the development of new technologies like perovskite solar cells has opened up new opportunities for anatase, further driving up its demand and price.On the other hand, Westerhoff said, there are hundreds of studies showing no adverse effects from the substance.
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.
Drobne et al. used the terrestrial arthropod Porcellio scaber as a test organism for determining the cytotoxic effect of TiO2 NPs (anatase). The animals were exposed to TiO2 NPs of two different sizes (25 nm and 75 nm) in the concentration range 10–1000 μg TiO2/g dry food for 3 to 14 days. No adverse effects, such as mortality, body weight changes or reduced feeding, were observed. In fact, quite the opposite, an enhanced feeding rate, food absorption efficiency and increase in catalase activity were observed. The intensity of these responses appeared to be time- but not dose-dependent. It should also be noted that the concentrations tested in this study were much higher than the predicted concentration (4.8 μg/g soil) at high emission scenario of nano-sized TiO2. Using the same test organism another group showed that exposure to TiO2 NPs induced destabilization of cell membrane in the epithelium of digestive glands isolated from exposed animals. They also showed that this effect can be observed after just 30 minutes of exposure.