JECFA previously assessed titanium dioxide at its 13^th meeting, at which time the expert committee assigned a “not specified” ADI for the additive due to an absence of significant absorption and a lack of toxicological effects in the available experimental animal and human studies. Since its original evaluation by JECFA, titanium dioxide has become a public point of contention, with its ban being introduced (and then subsequently withdrawn) in California legislation in 2023, a legal battle playing out in the EU over the additive’s ban and classification as a carcinogen in 2022, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) calling titanium dioxide unsafe. However, supporters of titanium dioxide say that claims about its dangers are founded in unreliable studies, and some recent research has supported its safety as a food additive.

So if you’re worried about titanium dioxide, don’t be! With current research and industry recommendations, titanium dioxide is a safe food additive. And if you want to avoid it, that’s ok too! Just don’t expect certain foods to be so white, smooth, and bright.