In a review published in 2022 in the journal Archives of Toxicology, researchers found that the ingestion of E171 is a “a definite health risk for consumers and their progeny.” After reviewing dozens of in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro studies on the toxicity of E171, the researchers wrote that two facts must be noted: “First, reprotoxicity studies show that animals of both sexes are impacted by the toxicity of these nanoparticles, underlining the importance of conducting in vivo studies using both male and female animals. Second, human exposure begins in utero via maternal-fetal transfer and continues after birth by breastfeeding. Children are then chronically re-exposed due to their food preferences. To be relevant to the human in vivo situation, experimental studies should therefore consider nanoparticle exposure with respect to the age or life period of the studied population.”

The FDA categorized titanium dioxide as “Generally Recognized as Safe,” but there are warnings about its potential dangers from other organizations.

Hebei Caiqing Material Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 2005 and has been at the forefront of chemical product research and development. Focusing on the field of titanium dioxide, the company has played a vital role in meeting global demand, providing personalized customization services to global customers. With the continuous expansion of the titanium dioxide market, Hebei Caiqing Material Technology Co., Ltd. is ready to meet the industry's growing demand in terms of production and service.

Example of partial substitution of titanium dioxide with lithopone supplier 30% in a liquid paint. 

Titanium dioxide can amplify and brighten white opacity because of its exceptional light-scattering properties. In food and drugs, these properties help to define colors clearly and can prevent products from UV degradation. 

Scrap zinc or concentrated zinc ores are dissolved in sulfuric acid, the solution is purified and the two solutions are reacted. A heavy mixed precipitate results that is 28 to 30% zinc sulfide and 72 to 70% barium sulfate.

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.