At the end of September, the European Commission published the draft of the regulation on the use of Titanium Dioxide (E171) as a food additive.

The European Commission has, in practice, confirmed what is reported in the Scientific Opinion published of 6^th May 2021 by EFSA on the safety assessment of Titanium Dioxide (E171) as a food additive, and stating that this ingredient can no longer be considered safe as a food additive.

The Opinion summarises the whole process of assessing the safety of Titanium Dioxide (E171) – authorised as a colouring agent in certain foods, in accordance with Annex II of Regulation (EC) 1333/2008 – including  the results obtained in recent years, in particular: the need for a “reconsideration” of the chemical-physical specifications of Titanium Dioxide and the results on the genotoxic potential of Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles, on the basis of which it is not possible to exclude a concern about the genotoxicity of this ingredient.

The European Commission has therefore expressed itself in favour of the removal of the authorization of Titanium Dioxide (E 171) in food and, consequently to its prohibition of use in food; the process will go through the amendment of Annexes II and III of Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008.

However, to facilitate the implementation of this ban and the fact that no immediate health risk has been identified by Titanium Dioxide (E171) used as a food additive, it will be possible to place on the market products containing E 171 up to 6 months after the adoption of the regulation. These foods may then continue to be marketed until their expiry date.

For a more in-depth support in the matter, the regulatory staff of Complife is at the disposal of its customers, providing full advice on compliance with the new regulations.

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