Titanium Dioxide (note)
What it does
White pigment.
How it's made
Purified mineral.
This entry notes titanium dioxide specifically in the context of its changed regulatory status. It is the same bright white pigment (chemically titanium dioxide) historically used to whiten and add opacity to foods, but flagged because its approval as a food additive has been reassessed.
Its manufacture is identical to standard titanium dioxide: titanium ore is processed by either the sulphate or the chloride route to yield very fine, pure white particles, which are washed, dried and milled to food specifications.
The reason for the separate note is regulatory rather than chemical: following a safety review focused on the potential for very small particles to be absorbed, the EU removed titanium dioxide from its list of permitted food additives in 2022. Its permitted use therefore now varies by country, and manufacturers have increasingly replaced it with alternative whiteners such as calcium carbonate or starches.
Possible reactions
Banned in EU food since 2022 over possible genotoxicity.