EFSA Issues Opinion on Titanium Dioxide as a Food Additive

Following the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety’s opinion suspending the sale of food products containing titanium dioxide—a food additive appearing in chewing gum, sauces and baked goods—the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a statement asserting that no further research has been published that would cause the agency to amend its previous opinion that the substance “did not raise concern with respect to genotoxicity and that it was not carcinogenic after oral administration.” EFSA notes that its earlier opinion “identified data gaps and uncertainties that required follow-up by the European Commission by means of a subsequent call for additional data” but that the French opinion did not fill those gaps.

The statement also follows the submission of a letter to the European Commission from several civil society organizations based in France, Italy and other member countries calling on the entity to “put forward a legislative proposal removing E171 [titanium dioxide] from the EU list of permitted food additives.” The letter also urges the EC “not to raise any objections or initiate any legal proceedings against the French measure.”