According to a scientific opinion published by EFSA last year, titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is used as food additive E 171 in food and supplements, was no longer considered safe due to its genotoxic potential.
With Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/63 the ban of TiO2 came into force on 7 February 2022. During a six-month transition period, remaining stocks produced under the former rules can still be sold in the EU until 7 August 2022, but a reformulation of all products is already underway to replace the effective coloring additive E 171. However, titanium dioxide is still permitted in medicinal products in the EU as well as in every application in the UK, as the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), after its assessment of the evidence, has rejected the research findings of EFSA and does not agree with the ban of TiO2 as an artificial additive. This initial decision will be further evaluated by independent committees in a detailed risk assessment during the year. But for the moment, there will be no changes in England and Wales, while the ban will be implemented in Northern Ireland due to the Northern Ireland Protocol.
