CSPI says it might reconsider its rating if specifications for food-grade titanium dioxide in the U.S. are updated to ensure nanoparticles are minimized, and new studies are conducted to assess its capacity to cause cancer or other health problems.
Of the products that include the additive in their labels, Thea Bourianne, senior manager at data consultant Label Insights, told Food Navigator USA in May 2021 that more than 11,000 products in the company's database of U.S. food and beverage products listed titanium dioxide as an ingredient. Non-chocolate candy led those numbers at 32%. Cupcakes and snack cakes made up 14%, followed by cookies at 8%, coated pretzels and trail mix at 7%, baking decorations at 6%, gum and mints at 4% and ice cream at 2%.
An inorganic chemical, titanium dioxide is used as a dye to help products achieve a certain appearance, including whitening a product. Some experts and publications have described it as being akin to a paint primer that's used before the color is added to food in order to give products a uniform shine. Its presence is common in many items beyond Skittles including coffee creamers, cake mixes, and chewing gum. It's also used for pigment and in cosmetics manufacturing.
≤0.3
Here, NaOH or NH3 · H2O is used as a precipitant or pH regulator to react with FeSO4 to form ferrous hydroxide precipitation; Air is used as oxidant; The iron sheet reacts with sulfuric acid produced during the oxidative hydrolysis of FeSO4 to provide ferrous ions required in the reaction system and maintain the pH value of the solution. The alkali consumption of acid method is less and the particles are easy to wash. The relative rates of seed preparation and crystal growth determine the particle size, particle size distribution and particle morphology of iron yellow particles.