Titanium dioxide manufacturer: Panzhihua Dongfang

While this ruling from the EU General Court doesn’t immediately change the regulations surrounding titanium dioxide, nor does it change the ban that went into place in 2022, it does put the ingredient back in the spotlight.
 
In the coming months, we will see how the ruling impacts the regulations around titanium dioxide (E171), and we’ll see if the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will take another look at the body of scientific evidence used to justify the current ban on E171 in foods and pharmaceuticals.

Abstract

For research published in Archives of Toxicology in 2020, scientists fed one group of mice a solution containing titanium dioxide for one month, and compared it to those that did not receive the additive. They found “the richness and evenness of gut microbiota were remarkably decreased and the gut microbial community compositions were significantly changed” in the titanium dioxide group when compared with the control group. The tests also revealed that the titanium dioxide exposure could cause locomotor dysfunction, or mobility issues “by elevating the excitement of enteric neurons, which might spread to the brain via gut-brain communication by vagal pathway.” The researchers concluded: “These findings provide valuable insights into the novel mechanism of TiO2NP-induced neurotoxicity. Understanding the microbiota-gut-brain axis will provide the foundation for potential therapeutic or prevention approaches against TiO2NP-induced gut and brain-related disorders.”