Titanium dioxide is used in an enormous range of food products, which can feel jarring when looking at some of its other uses.
The vitaminC@P25TiO2NPs, on the other hand, were obtained through an optimized method based on Mallakpour et al. [27]. Initially, 0.02 g of P25TiO2NPs were dispersed in 1 mL of ultrapure water and stirred in a Vortex. Next, 100 μL of HCl (0.01 M) were added (pH 2) to 100 uL of P25TiO2NPs to avoid gel formation. Then, 100 μL of vitamin C dissolved in ultra-pure water (5.0 × 10−3 M) solution were added to the mixture and was ultrasonicated for 30 min. Finally, vitamin C was added in excess to gain a beige-orange color suspension, and the ultrasonication continued for another 30 min. The pellet obtained after centrifuging the suspension for 10 min at 4500 rpm was resuspended in ultrapure water, centrifuged again, and then lyophilized.
Titanium dioxide holds exceptional significance as a white pigment due to its superior scattering capabilities, remarkable chemical stability, and non-toxic nature. Among all white pigments, it surpasses others in terms of its ability to scatter light effectively. Consequently, titanium dioxide stands as the most significant inorganic pigment, accounting for the highest quantity in usage. The majority part of the global production of ilmenite and rutile is dedicated to the production of TiO2 pigments. The remaining portion is utilized for the manufacturing of titanium metal and in the production of welding electrodes.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has listed titanium dioxide as a Group 2B carcinogen — an agent that may be carcinogenic but lacks sufficient animal and human research. This has caused concern for its safety in food products (11, 12).