The committee could not finalize the assessment of some other flavoring agents, requiring further information. JECFA highlighted the importance of receiving complete data submissions from the sponsors for conducting the safety evaluation.

The concern from animal studies is that high amounts of titanium dioxide have increased inflammation and colon tumor formation, said Dr. Johnson-Arbor. A 2021 review, meanwhile, suggested that using titanium dioxide as a food additive weakens the gut lining and worsens the progression of inflammatory bowel disease.

Relative Density Among commonly used white pigments, lithopone has the smallest relative density. Among white pigments of the same mass, titanium dioxide has the largest surface area and the highest pigment volume.