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. 

When used in food specifically, titanium dioxide is known as an additive called E171 and can be found in products like candy, chocolate, coffee creamer, cake decorations, chewing gum and even vitamin supplements. E171 is often used as coloring additive in foods, to lend the processed item a natural whiteness and opacity — such as in Skittles candy, where it's used as a white base to help give the candies their signature bright, colorful hue.

Because beauty should never come at the price of your health.

Titanium dioxide has similar uses in non-food products. It is used in sunscreen as effective protection against UVA/UVB rays from the sun, which creates a physical barrier between the sun’s rays and the skin. It’s also used to whiten paint, paper, plastic, ink, rubber, and cosmetics.

The leading Chinese TiO2 exporter in value and quantity has been Sichuan Lomon, followed by Henan Billions and Gansu CNNC Huayuan. However, Sichuan Lomon exported a value of titanium dioxide by USD100,000,000 more than the second rank Henan Billions. Henan Billions, on the other hand, exported over USD70,000,000 more TiO2 than Gansu CNNC Huayuan. This demonstrates the huge monopole-like position of the newly merged company Henan Lomon, which can determine the market development for TiO2 in China nearly all alone.

The future of TiO₂

In a study published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology in 2020, researchers examined the effects of food additives titanium dioxide and silica on the intestinal tract by grouping and feeding mice three different food-grade particles — micro-TiO2, nano-TiO2, and nano-SiO2.  With all three groups, researchers observed changes in the gut microbiota, particularly mucus-associated bacteria. Furthermore, all three groups experienced inflammatory damage to the intestine, but the nano-TiO2 displayed the most pronounced changes. The researchers wrote: “Our results suggest that the toxic effects on the intestine were due to reduced intestinal mucus barrier function and an increase in metabolite lipopolysaccharides which activated the expression of inflammatory factors downstream. In mice exposed to nano-TiO2, the intestinal PKC/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway was activated. These findings will raise awareness of toxicities associated with the use of food-grade TiO2 and SiO2.”

The chemical is also found in common household and industrial products such as paints, coatings, adhesives, paper, plastics and rubber, printing inks, coated fabrics and textiles, as well as ceramics.