Titanium Dioxide in Food: Uses, Safety, Common Sources, Names, and How to Avoid It

Even if you’ve never heard of titanium dioxide, there’s a good chance that this additive is somewhere in your kitchen. It’s found in everything from canned soup to trail mix to shredded cheese.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved titanium dioxide as safe for human consumption in small amounts, it’s banned from foods in Europe, and some research suggests that it might cause health problems at high doses.

Here’s what you need to know about titanium dioxide in food.

Titanium dioxide is a white pigment made from naturally occurring ores (solid minerals or metals). It’s found in a wide variety of consumer products, including sunscreen, cosmetics, paints, and plastics.

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“There is a possibility that the use of titanium dioxide as a food additive might cause DNA or chromosomal damage,” the European Food Safety Authority said in a 2022 statement announcing the ban. “In the European Union, the fact that the safety of a food additive cannot be confirmed is sufficient to warrant a ban.”

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“For years, scientists have raised concerns about the potential toxicity of titanium dioxide,” says Melanie Benesh, JD, vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, a consumer advocacy group that has petitioned for a ban.

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“It is important to understand that the dose makes the poison. Most anything taken in excess amounts can have toxicity effects,” says Toby Amidor, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and cookbook author.

In the United States, regulators determine what amount of a chemical might be harmful and then set the allowable dose in food 100 times lower than that, Amidor says.

“If you really are worried about titanium dioxide in your food, note that many of the foods [it’s used in] like candy, baked goods, and confectioners’ sugar should be consumed sparingly in the diet to begin with,” she adds.

You’re most likely to encounter titanium dioxide in packaged and processed foods, Amidor says. It’s in more than 3,000 different products commonly sold in grocery stores, according to the Environmental Working Group, which tests products for specific chemicals and additives.

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There are several things you can do to reduce your exposure, Benesh says:

Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.

In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.

Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.

She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.

food & ingredients

food & ingredients

food & ingredients

food & ingredients

food & ingredients

food & ingredients

food & ingredients

food & ingredients

food & ingredients

food & ingredients