This news may upset you.
Titanium dioxide, a common ingredient in sunscreens and cosmetics, may be found in some of your favorite foods, including many types of candy, gum, and pre-packaged foods like frozen pizza.
The additive is a powdered metal compound that’s used to brighten cosmetics and is also useful in sunscreens because it’s UV-resistant, according to Healthline.
It has also been found in tattoo ink, certain medications, and feminine hygiene products.
But food-grade titanium dioxide is different from the kind found in paints, paper and plastics and is used to improve the color and extend the shelf life of some processed foods, raising concerns about its safety.
Titanium dioxide is found in a variety of products, including sunscreen, cosmetics, tattoos, and medicines. Shopping King Louie – stock.adobe.com
“The concern is that when titanium dioxide is ingested, especially when it’s in the form of nanoparticles, it can enter cells and generate radicals that can damage cells, which can lead to cancer,” Dr. Keith Wariner, a researcher and professor of food science at the University of Guelph, told Food & Wine.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies titanium dioxide as a Group 2B carcinogen, meaning it may cause cancer, but there is a lack of research supporting a link between titanium dioxide and cancer.
“If you look at it from a different perspective, this is in the same group as mobile phone devices,” Warriner noted.
According to Dr. Heidi Silver, a research professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, exposure to titanium dioxide in concentrations higher than humans ingest through their food has been shown to cause lung and thyroid tumors in rodents.
The Wall Street Journal reported that a small study found a potential link between titanium dioxide intake and intestinal inflammation, which could lead to an increased risk of disease.
The findings have raised concerns among watchdog groups and consumers.
According to the Journal, Whole Foods has vowed to remove titanium dioxide from its macaroni and cheese. Whole Foods’ titanium dioxide is listed in the “color” column on its bottles of Old El Paso Salsa Verde. Old El Paso
A lawsuit filed in 2022 against candy maker Mars Inc. (now dropped) claimed the titanium dioxide in Skittles was toxic, while TikTok users in the same year claimed the titanium dioxide in tampons posed health risks, though experts rejected their claims as largely misleading.
California lawmakers also tried to ban the additive last year, following in the footsteps of the European Food Safety Authority, a European Union agency that banned titanium dioxide in food two years ago.
“A key factor in reaching this conclusion is that EFSA could not rule out concerns about genotoxicity following ingestion of titanium dioxide particles,” an EFSA representative told Food & Wine.
“After oral ingestion, titanium dioxide particles have a low absorption rate. However, they can accumulate in the body.”
In the United States, however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers titanium dioxide safe for consumption and regulates the amount of the additive in food, although the Environmental Defense Fund is petitioning the FDA to ban it.
According to the FDA, regulators in the UK and Canada disagree with EFSA’s conclusions about titanium dioxide and have further raised concerns about the additive’s safety.
“There is no concern with using or consuming food-grade titanium dioxide, as long as it is consumed within regulated limits,” Dr. Joe Zagorski, a toxicologist at Michigan State University’s Center for Ingredient Safety Research, told Food & Wine.
Although little scientific research has been done on its safety, titanium dioxide is generally considered safe for use and ingestion, according to the FDA. kosmos111 – stock.adobe.com
But if you’re worried about ingesting titanium dioxide, you’re required to state so on the label, although experts say it’s often hidden in packaged foods as “artificial color” or “added color,” and some manufacturers are reducing the amount of the additive.
The best thing you can do is diversify your diet, experts added.
“People who eat a variety of foods and drinks in their diet will limit their intake of any single ingredient,” Zagorski says.
