Food-Grade Titanium Dioxide and Applications
Food-grade titanium dioxide, also known as edible titanium dioxide, commonly referred to as white pigment, is also used as a food whitening agent. It is non-toxic, tasteless, and appears as a white powdery substance. Food-grade titanium dioxide is the most effective whitening agent among food whitening agents. Because of this characteristic, food-grade titanium dioxide is commonly used in the fields of medicine, food, and cosmetics. Although food-grade titanium dioxide is considered non-toxic as an additive, there is experimental evidence that long-term intake may impair the ability of human small intestine cells to absorb nutrients and resist bacteria.
What is Food-Grade Titanium Dioxide
Food-grade titanium dioxide, commonly known as titanium dioxide, is also called white pigment. Food-grade titanium dioxide is the most effective whitening agent in food. It is widely used in foods such as jelly, capsules, candies, beverages, dairy products, flour, konjac powder, etc.
China's GB2760-2014 stipulates the use of food-grade titanium dioxide as a coloring agent. The U.S. FDA considers it safe, and it is commonly added to toothpaste, chocolate to improve texture, or used in foods such as donuts, skim milk to make them look brighter and more appealing. Additionally, it is also widely used as a white pigment in coatings, paper, and plastics, and added to sunscreens to resist ultraviolet rays.
Applications of Food-Grade Titanium Dioxide
1. Pharmaceutical Industry
In pharmaceutical formulations, it can be used as a white coloring agent to prepare film-coated suspensions, sugar-coated tablets, and gelatin capsule preparations. It can also be mixed with other coloring agents for use in topical preparations and can replace starch as a pharmaceutical binder.
2. Food Industry
Used in candy coatings, preserved fruits, jelly, chewing gum, non-sweetened solid beverages and concentrated solid beverages, milk-containing beverages, puffed foods. Candied fruits, jams, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and other foods that require whitening.
3. Cosmetics Industry
Foundation, pressed powder, sunscreen, eyeshadow, lipstick, lip gloss, toothpaste, body powder, prickly heat powder, creams, white soap.
Is Food-Grade Titanium Dioxide Harmful?
Although titanium dioxide, a common food additive, is considered non-toxic, long-term intake may impair the ability of human small intestine cells to absorb nutrients and resist bacteria.
Researchers from Binghamton University and other institutions published a report in the academic journal "Nano Impact", saying that they used small intestine cells cultured in the laboratory to simulate the effects of titanium dioxide particles with a diameter of about 30 nanometers on the intestines. For example, they allowed intestinal cells to come into contact with an amount of titanium dioxide particles equivalent to that contained in one meal in 4 hours, simulating acute exposure; and in 5 days, they allowed intestinal cells to come into contact with an amount of titanium dioxide particles equivalent to that contained in three meals, simulating chronic exposure. The results showed that acute exposure did not cause any changes, but chronic long-term exposure reduced the protrusions on the surface of small intestine cells, thereby damaging the antibacterial barrier of the digestive system, reducing the digestion rate, and affecting the absorption of nutrients such as iron, zinc, and fatty acids. In addition, inflammatory indicators also increased.
