Titanium is the 9th most abundant element in Earth’s Crust and titanium dioxide (TiO2 or E171) is the oxide of this metal, which occurs naturally in several kinds of rock and mineral sands.

Extracted from five different crystal forms, the appealing white TiO2 has been widely used as a dye for over 90 years throughout the world in a vast range of industrial applications and consumer goods such as paints, printing inks, plastics, paper and board, textiles, ceramics, construction materials, and last but not least pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food.The food products most often containing titanium dioxide (especially in its nano form) are candy, chewing gums, some dairy and other sweets, all showing the characteristic white color. Many Food Contact Materials also contain TiO2. This substance is chosen by producers mainly for its color and apart from this it doesn’t add much to food products containing it. For this reason, and following new scientific studies highlighting possible health risks, in recent times the nonchalant utilization of this coloring agent has been criticized. Read more.