Is titanium dioxide safe? Where it's banned, allowed, and what it's in

White pigment and mineral UV filter · Also known as: TiO2, E171, CI 77891, Titanium dioxide (nano) · Reviewed Sep 19, 2026 · 18 sources

Where titanium dioxide is allowed

What is titanium dioxide?

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a bright white powder used as a pigment. The FDA describes the food-use version as a synthetically produced white pigment made from naturally occurring ores. It is E171 in food in Europe and CI 77891 in cosmetics. EFSA noted that E171 contains at most 50% of particles in the nano range, meaning under 100 nanometres.

Why it's used, and where you'll find it

In food it is a white color additive, used in foods such as bakery products and candy, the FDA notes. In makeup it is a white pigment, and in sunscreen it is a UV filter listed as an active ingredient.

• bakery products
• candy
• sunscreens
• face powder and foundation
• medicines (as a colour; still allowed in the EU)

What the research and regulators say

Why the EU removed it from food

In May 2021 EFSA concluded that titanium dioxide could no longer be considered safe as a food additive, mainly because it could not exclude genotoxicity concerns after consumption of the particles and so could not establish a safe daily intake. The Commission's regulation adds that EFSA did not identify an immediate health concern, and it allowed a six-month transition. ^{[10, 11]}

Why other regulators differ

In 2023 the international expert committee on food additives (JECFA) reaffirmed an intake limit of 'not specified', saying the data did not provide convincing evidence of genotoxicity but that better nanoparticle tests are needed. The FDA said it did not identify concerns related to potential genotoxicity based on the data available, and Health Canada found no conclusive evidence of a concern. ^{[2, 7, 15, 16]}

The cancer classification concerns inhaled dust

In 2010 IARC classified titanium dioxide as 'possibly carcinogenic to humans' (Group 2B), with inadequate evidence in humans but sufficient evidence in animals, based on lung tumours in rats that inhaled it. Canada's June 2026 assessment (Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada) said such tumours occurred only at doses that overloaded the lungs, that it did not consider them relevant to the general population, and that margins of exposure for inhalation were adequate; it did not explicitly assess nanomaterials. Separately, the EU's legal classification of the powder as a suspected inhalation carcinogen was annulled by the General Court, and on 1 August 2025 the Court of Justice upheld that annulment, a ruling about how the classification was reached. ^{[9, 17, 18]}

Powders, sprays and nano forms

Under EU cosmetics rules adopted in 2021, titanium dioxide powder with at least 1% of particles 10 micrometres or smaller is limited to loose face powder (up to 25%) and hair aerosol sprays (1.4% for consumers, 1.1% for professionals). The nano form is allowed as a UV filter up to 25% but not in uses that could expose the lungs, such as sprays, and Health Canada's sunscreen monograph supports nano titanium dioxide only in uses that may not expose the lungs by inhalation. These EU entries were still in the newest consolidated cosmetics text in force on 19 September 2026 (version of 18 May 2026). ^{[8, 12, 13]}

Who might choose to avoid it

Some people choose to avoid titanium dioxide in food because EFSA could not rule out a DNA-damage concern. Others prefer creams to loose powders or sprays containing it, since inhalation is the route studied in the cancer research.

How to spot it on a label

The FDA says titanium dioxide in US food appears on ingredient labels as either 'artificial color' or 'colored with titanium dioxide', so it is not always named. In Canada, food colours are named individually, so look for 'titanium dioxide'. In cosmetics it is 'Titanium Dioxide' or CI 77891, and sunscreens list it as an active ingredient.

Frequently asked questions

Related ingredients

• Oxybenzone
• Red 40
• Yellow 5

This page summarizes what regulators and published research say, as of the review date above. Rules and evidence change; check the linked sources for the latest. It is general information, not medical advice — talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your own health.