{"id":1225,"date":"2023-01-26T23:15:45","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T23:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/agderma.de\/?page_id=1225"},"modified":"2025-08-31T09:07:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T09:07:18","slug":"titanium-dioxide-optical-brightener-with-health-risk","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/agderma.de\/en\/themen\/titandioxid-optischer-aufheller-mit-gesundheitsrisiko\/","title":{"rendered":"Titanium dioxide - Optical brightener with health risk"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Titanium dioxide - Optical brightener with health risk<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Titanium dioxide is a colour pigment that has the highest opacity of all white pigments.\u00a0It is chemically stable<\/a>\u00a0and is considered non-toxic.<\/p>

In medicine, it is used as a pure optical colouring agent with the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) designation CI 77891 for tablets, creams, cosmetics as well as in\u00a0Sun creams<\/a>\u00a0used as a mineral UV filter.<\/p>

As a colouring Food additive E171<\/a> It is added to sweets, chewing gum, toothpaste, mozzarella and as a white pigment in confectionery and coatings. 90 % of titanium dioxide is used in the industrial sector for the production of paints, lacquers, paper and plastics.<\/p>

Titanium dioxide is formed from titanium, the fourth most common metal in the world. When it reacts with oxygen, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is formed. Since pure titanium hardly occurs on earth, it has to be extracted from titanium iron ore in an energy-intensive and cost-intensive way. The production process therefore leads to the emission of greenhouse gases and is climate-relevant.\u00a0In Germany alone, about 550,000 tonnes of titanium dioxide are produced each year.<\/a>\u00a0produced as microparticles (particles above 100 nm) or nanoparticles (particles below 100 nm). This corresponds to a total share of 10 % in the global market. Nano titanium dioxides are among the most frequently produced nanoparticles<\/p>

Absorption of titanium dioxide through the skin<\/h3>

2010 saw the arrival of a\u00a0Study<\/a>\u00a0concluded that the uptake of nanoparticles by the skin is determined by the particle size and that this depends on the health status of the skin. For the uptake of titanium dioxide particles by\u00a0Tattoos<\/a>\u00a0However, it has not yet been possible to make a statement on this issue.<\/p>

Absorption of titanium dioxide via the gastrointestinal tract<\/h3>

In a\u00a0Study of the University Hospital Zurich<\/a>\u00a0In 2016, it was shown in a mouse model that titanium dioxide (nano) particles as food additive E171 below 100 nm led to an increase in further inflammation and damage to the intestinal mucosa in mice with inflammatory bowel disease. The Zurich scientists therefore recommended that patients with intestinal inflammation avoid foods containing titanium dioxide. French researchers also showed in rats in 2017 that the ingestion of E171 in nanoparticle form\u00a0Cause intestinal inflammation<\/a>\u00a0can and continues to damage the immune system.<\/p>

To\u00a0carcinogenic potential<\/a>\u00a0of titanium dioxide (nano)particles after oral exposure, no suitable studies are available so far. However, since titanium dioxide takes a long time to degrade in tissues, it has the potential to accumulate, leading to the assumption that tumours may develop as a result of the accumulation. The\u00a0Database of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)<\/a>\u00a0therefore lists titanium dioxide as a possible carcinogenic substance.<\/p>

At present, according to\u00a0Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)<\/a>\u00a0not assess whether the assessment of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on E171 is also transferable to titanium dioxide particles (CI 77891) in toothpaste as cosmetic products and has therefore recommended further investigations.<\/p>

Uptake of titanium dioxide via the lungs<\/h3>

The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) states that the use of titanium dioxide in powder form in topical preparations, based on current data and the possible classification of titanium dioxide according to the CLP Regulation as\u00a0Carcinogen category 2 (inhalation)<\/a>\u00a0is not safe for general consumers if inhaled.<\/p>

In sun creams, titanium dioxide (nano) particles are added as mineral UV protection to prevent the whitening effect.\u00a0Already defined nanoparticle forms that could lead to exposure to the lungs are not permitted here<\/a>. However, a final assessment of exposure to nanoparticles and the resulting necessary amendment to the EU Cosmetics Regulation is still pending.\u00a0As of 9 September 2021<\/a>\u00a0solid and liquid cosmetic products as well as sprays containing at least 1% titanium dioxide must be separately labelled with warnings throughout the EU. However, there is no ban.<\/p>

Ban on titanium dioxide in food in Europe<\/h3>

Since 6 May 2021, the\u00a0EFSA<\/a>\u00a0no longer considers the use of titanium dioxide as a food additive to be safe, as it is not possible to disprove the possible genotoxic effect of titanium dioxide (nano)particles after reviewing more than 200 in vitro and in vivo studies on animals relevant to the topic. Nor do the studies allow any conclusion to be drawn on a correlation between certain properties of titanium dioxide (nano)particles (size, composition) and the outcome of the genotoxicity studies. It is not possible to define an acceptable daily intake level. The French Food Safety Agency also\u00a0ANSES<\/a>\u00a0criticises that there is a lack of data to declare the substance as clearly harmless.<\/p>

As a consequence, France was the first EU member to ban titanium dioxide as a food additive from 1 January 2020. Switzerland will follow with a ban at the end of 2021. However, titanium dioxide will continue to be permitted in products such as cosmetics, sunscreen or medicines.<\/p>

Conclusion<\/h3>

Titanium dioxide is an additive that is not essential and bears no relation to the potential risks. It is used solely to increase the visual appeal of a product and is thus merely a marketing tool.<\/p>

For health and climate-related reasons, it is therefore recommended that titanium dioxide should not be added to medicines, skin care creams and foodstuffs.<\/p>

Update 16.10.2021:<\/p>

On 08.10.2021, the EU member states agreed to the European Commission's proposal to allow the use of\u00a0ban titanium dioxide (E171) as an additive in food from 2022.<\/a><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Update 04.02.2022:<\/strong><\/p>

The\u00a0European Union (EU)<\/a>\u00a0has issued the ban on the use of titanium dioxide as a food additive (E171). It comes into force from 7 February 2022 and is binding from 7 August 2022. Manufacturers will be required to replace titanium dioxide in medicines with excipients within the next three years. Before 1 April 2024, the\u00a0European Medicines Agency (EMA)<\/a>\u00a0carry out a further assessment of titanium dioxide.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Update from 13\/08\/2025:<\/strong><\/p>


On 1 August 2025, the ECJ annulled the classification of titanium dioxide initiated by the EU Commission in 2019. Manufacturers, importers, users and suppliers had taken legal action against the EU regulation on the labelling of powdered titanium dioxide as \"probably carcinogenic\", which had been in force since 1 October 2021. According to the judgement published in 2022, the ECJ criticised the fact that an expert opinion on the carcinogenicity of titanium dioxide by the European Chemicals Agency and the EU Commission had not been adequately assessed and therefore incorrect conclusions were drawn for the warning labels. The ECJ dismissed the appeals and confirmed that the classification of titanium dioxide was not justified as not all relevant scientific factors were taken into account. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a9 Dr. med. Dipl. Biol. Susanne Saha 08\/2021<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Titandioxid ist ein Farbpigment, welches von allen Wei\u00dfpigmenten die h\u00f6chste Deckungskraft besitzt.\u00a0Es ist chemisch stabil\u00a0und gilt als ungiftig. In der Medizin wird es als reiner optischer Farbgeber mit der INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) Bezeichnung\u00a0CI 77891\u00a0f\u00fcr Tabletten, Cremes,\u00a0 Kosmetika sowie in\u00a0Sonnencremes\u00a0als mineralischer UV-Filter verwendet. Als farbgebender Lebensmittelzusatzstoff\u00a0E171 wird es zum Beispiel in Bonbons, Kaugummis, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1142,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1225","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agderma.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agderma.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agderma.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agderma.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agderma.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1225"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/agderma.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5787,"href":"https:\/\/agderma.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1225\/revisions\/5787"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agderma.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agderma.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}