The food additive titanium dioxide, known by the code E171
, is used today all over the world to whiten food products. This additive, which increases color and shine, is included in many products we use every day, from toothpaste to baking soda.
It has gradually started to be understood how harmful E171 is in our table, in our personal care cabinet and most importantly in our body at the end of the day. Although no one has spoken out against this food additive until now, the European Union has stated in the past months that they will ban the use of this substance, which it describes as a “hidden danger”. So, is this additive that we all consume every day really harmful and what does it cause in the long run?
What does titanium dioxide do in food?
This compound, named E171, is not found in nature in a pure form. This additive, which is the oxidized form of titanium, is produced through iron titanium dioxide ores.
The general purpose of titanium dioxide is to whiten and increase the brightness of food products, but this additive is also used to extend the shelf life of products, as it also has the ability to absorb moisture. At the same time, the color of this additive never fades no matter how much UV light it is exposed to.
Titanium dioxide is included in many products that we use in our daily life.
The terms Titanium dioxide or E171 may seem distant to you, but we are sure that you will be very surprised when you hear how often this additive is consumed in daily life.
It is included in dozens of products such as toothpaste, chewing gum, white chocolate, white flour, candies, shaving cream, shampoo, sunscreen, roasted chickpeas, paint, sauce and pastry products. So, as you can see, although we are not aware of it, E171 is a chemical that we take with us at every moment of the day and unintentionally.
What are the alarming claims about E171?
The biggest reason the scientific world is worried about E171 is the tests on animals. Studies conducted on mice to date show that E171 cannot be eliminated from the body, and this additive disrupts the DNA structure in the long run. In addition, E171 causes damage to the body over time by disrupting the body’s water balance thanks to its moisture retention feature.
So why is E171 so harmful?
Let’s get to the most important part of the event. Studies of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on E171 show that this additive does not pose any problems if used in the food industry. In other words, according to these studies, E171 does not cause any harm to the human body by oral or skin contact. The real problem for humans starts with inhaling E171, which is used for industrial products.
As you can see, there does not seem to be much harm in consuming E171 in food products such as chewing gum, white flour or candy. More precisely, there is no solid scientific evidence that consuming E171 causes cancer to date. Because all research done so far has been limited to those that have been done only on animals. In other words, more scientific research on humans is needed to prove that E171 used in the food industry is harmful.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has evaluated titanium dioxide in 2B, that is, in the category of carcinogenic to humans. However, the reason why the E171 is in this category is due to the type used in the industrial type.
One of the animal studies shows that E171 can reach the fetus in the womb.
Eric Houdeau, a scientist at the French Public Research Institute (INRAE), proved that E171 can reach the fetus from the mother’s womb in a study he conducted on animals in the past years. This study in mice showed that E171 negatively affected fetal development, but the fact that the same test was not done in humans fell short of showing that E171 could be harmful to humans as well.
In fact, Hodeau used the following statements in a radio show he participated in, stating that one should be careful when commenting on the negative impact of E171 on people; “It is not possible to say that studies done on animals will give the same results in humans.”
France becomes the first country to ban the use of E171
France, which does not want to remain silent about the results of the researches about E171, became the first country to ban the use of E171 as of 2020. According to the new law, it has been completely forbidden to use the food with the code E171 in the food sector in France since 2020.
The European Union is also preparing to ban E171 in the food sector in the same way. Stella Kyriakides, who is responsible for health and food safety of the EU Commission, stated that the use of E171 in the food sector will be banned from 2022 unless there is an objection by the European Parliament (EP) and the European Council.
Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4
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