Is Titanium Dioxide Safe?

Is Titanium Dioxide safe to consume? Here's what our analysis found across 303 products in our database.

Also known as: E171, TiO2, CI 77891

FDA Status
FDA-approved (21 CFR 73.575) at levels not exceeding 1% by weight of the food. FDA has not taken action to restrict desp...
EU (EFSA) Status
EFSA concluded in May 2021 that E171 could no longer be considered safe, citing inability to rule out genotoxicity of Ti...

Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI): No ADI established — EFSA withdrew the previous ADI in 2021

What Is Titanium Dioxide?

An inorganic white pigment used to provide opacity and bright white color in foods (candies, chewing gum, pastries), toothpaste, and cosmetics.

How Does It Work?

Nanoparticles of TiO2 can cross the intestinal epithelium. EFSA's 2021 assessment concluded that genotoxicity could not be ruled out due to concerns about accumulation of nanoparticles in tissues over time.

Commonly found in: Skittles (original formula), Coffee creamer, Chewing gum, White cake frosting, Salad dressing, Toothpaste

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Why Do People Avoid It?

Regulatory Timeline

Natural Alternatives

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Scientific References

  1. EFSA (2021). Safety assessment of titanium dioxide (E171) as a food additive. EFSA Journal, 19(5), 6585
  2. EU Commission Regulation 2022/63 banning E171
  3. Bettini et al. (2017). Food-grade TiO2 impairs intestinal and systemic immune homeostasis. Particle and Fibre Toxicology, 14(1), 38

📊 Top Categories Containing Titanium Dioxide

Candy 79Savoury Bakery Products 34Snack Cakes 19Cupcakes 19Cakes 19Pizza 12

Products Containing Titanium Dioxide (303 found)

ProductBrandScore
HERR'S, POTATO CHIPSHerr Foods Inc.0/100
ORIGINAL GRAPE, GREEN APPLE, LEMON, STRAWBERRY, ORANGE BITE SIZE CANDIES, ORIGINALMars, Inc.0/100
BITE SIZE CANDIESWm. Wrigley Jr. Company0/100
STRAWBERRY, LEMON, GREEN APPLE, ORANGE, GRAPE ORIGINAL BITE SIZE CANDIES, STRAWBERRY, LEMON, GREEN APPLE, ORANGE, GRAPEWm. Wrigley Jr. Company0/100
GRAND CHEESECAKE SELECTION, WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY, SNICKERS BAR CHUNKS, CHOCOLATE MOUSSE, STRAWBERRY TOPPED ORIGINALThe Cheesecake Factory Bakery, Inc.0/100
SWEDISH FISH SOFT CANDY TROPICAL FAT FREE1X2 OZMondelez Int. US (0074819091009)0/100
WILD BERRY + TROPICAL BITE SIZE CANDIES, PINEAPPLE PASSIONFRUIT, BANANA BERRY, KIWI LIME, MANGO TANGELO, STRAWBERRY STARFRUIT, MELON BERRY, BERRY PUNCH, STRAWBERRY, WILD CHERRY, RASPBERRYWm. Wrigley Jr. Company0/100
SKITTLES, SWEETS + SOUR BITE SIZE CANDIESWm. Wrigley Jr. Company0/100
ORIGINAL BITE SIZE CANDIES, ORIGINALWm. Wrigley Jr. Company0/100
BITE SIZE CANDIES, LEMON, GREEN APPLE, GRAPE, ORANGE, STRAWBERRYMars Chocolate North America LLC0/100
ORIGINAL BITE SIZE CANDIES, ORIGINALWm. Wrigley Jr. Company0/100
ORIGINAL GRAPE, GREEN APPLE, STRAWBERRY, ORANGE, LEMON BITE SIZE CANDIES, ORIGINALMars Chocolate North America LLC0/100
WILD BERRY BITE SIZE CANDIESMars Chocolate North America LLC0/100
SOUR PATCH KIDS SOFT CANDY TROPICAL FAT FREE1X2 OZMondelez USA0/100
AMERICA MIX BITE SIZE CANDIES, RUMBERRY, RASPBERRY, STRAWBERRY, BLACKBERRY, WILD BERRYWm. Wrigley Jr. Company0/100
BITE SIZE CANDIESWm. Wrigley Jr. Company0/100
ORIGINAL BITE SIZE CANDIES, STRAWBERRY, LEMON, GREEN APPLE, ORANGE, GRAPEWm. Wrigley Jr. Company0/100
LUNCHABLES COOKIE DUNKSKraft Heinz Foods Company0/100
BITE SIZE CANDIESWm. Wrigley Jr. Company0/100
BAKERY FRESH GOODNESS, COFFEE CAKE, PUMPKIN SPICE, PUMPKIN SPICEThe Kroger Co.1/100

Showing 20 of 303 products.

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This page provides ingredient information for educational purposes. It is not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized guidance.

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📋 Cite This Data
APACheckIt AI. (2026). "Is Titanium Dioxide Safe? FDA Status, Health Effects & Alternatives | CheckIt AI". Climaverse PBC. Retrieved from https://getcheck.it/ingredient-safety/titanium-dioxide
MLA"Is Titanium Dioxide Safe? FDA Status, Health Effects & Alternatives | CheckIt AI." CheckIt AI, Climaverse PBC, 2026-04-05. https://getcheck.it/ingredient-safety/titanium-dioxide.
HTML Embed<a href="https://getcheck.it/ingredient-safety/titanium-dioxide">Is Titanium Dioxide Safe? FDA Status, Health Effects & Alternatives | CheckIt AI — CheckIt AI</a>
BibTeX@misc{checkit2026ingredientsafetytitaniumdioxide, title = {Is Titanium Dioxide Safe? FDA Status, Health Effects & Alternatives | CheckIt AI}, author = {CheckIt AI}, year = {2026}, publisher = {Climaverse PBC}, url = {https://getcheck.it/ingredient-safety/titanium-dioxide}, note = {Retrieved 2026-04-05} }