The European Commission Adopts Ban on Use of Titanium Dioxide (E171) as a Food Additive

On January 14, 2022, the European Commission (EC) announced the adoption of a ban on the use of titanium dioxide (E171) as a food additive. The ban will go into effect after a six-month transition period, and beginning summer 2022, this additive should no longer be added to European food products. The EC based its proposal on a scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that concluded that E171 could no longer be considered safe when used as a food additive due to concerns over genotoxicity that could not be ruled out. The ban was unanimously supported by European Union member states.