A popular additive, titanium dioxide, is used in foods such as cottage cheese and cake frostings to make them appear whiter and more visually appealing. What is not so appealing about titanium dioxide, however, are the findings of recent research linking its use with colon cancer.
What Is Titanium Dioxide?
Titanium dioxide is a powder that is used as a white pigment that has the ability to enhance and brighten white opacity because it scatters light well. Food and personal care and cosmetic manufacturers like to use it to boost and better define colors in their products.
Food-grade titanium dioxide (E171) is a common food additive that contains nanoparticles. You can’t see nanoparticles without a microscope, as they are one to 100 nanometers in size. By comparison, an average piece of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick. The extremely small size of nanoparticles in titanium dioxide makes it easy for them to damage cells.
When titanium dioxide is used as a pigment in sunscreen, paints, makeup, and plastics, it is called titanium white, pigment white 6, or CI77891. Food-grade titanium dioxide is used in baked goods, frosting, sandwich spreads, toothpaste, white sauces, coffee creamer, chocolate, milk, candy, some dairy products, salad dressing, and chewing gum. It is also used as an anti-caking agent in instant food mixes, and beverages, and as an excipient in vitamin supplements and medications.
