Food safety: EU to ban the use of Titanium Dioxide (E171) as a food additive in 2022

Today, Member States approved the European Commission’s proposal to ban the use of Titanium Dioxide (E171) as a food additive from 2022. Titanium Dioxide is used as a colorant in a number of products such as chewing gum, pastries, food supplements, soups and broths. Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, in charge of Health and Food Safety, said: “The safety of our food and the health of our consumers is not negotiable. Today, we act decisively with our Member States, based on sound science, to remove a risk from a chemical used in food”. The Commission’s proposal is based on a scientific opinion by the European Food Safety Authority, which concluded that E171 could no longer be considered as safe when used as a food additive, in particular due to the fact that concerns regarding genotoxicity cannot be ruled out. Unless an objection is adopted by the end of the year by either the Council or the European Parliament, the text will enter into force in early 2022. This will then kick-off a 6-month phasing out period after which a full ban will apply in food products. More information is available in our Q&A.