References[edit]
ROS were detected through the colorimetric assay employing the nitro-blue tetrazolium salt (NBT salt) by reading the absorbance of the reduced blue molecule.
The main food categories contributing to dietary exposure of E171 are fine bakery wares, soups, broths and sauces (for infants, toddlers and adolescents); and soups, broths, sauces, salads and savoury based sandwich spreads (for children, adults and the elderly). Processed nuts are also a main contributing food category for adults and the elderly.
Relative Density Among commonly used white pigments, lithopone has the smallest relative density. Among white pigments of the same mass, titanium dioxide has the largest surface area and the highest pigment volume.
For a review published in 2023 in the journal Environmental Pollution, researchers examined E171 as a possible factor promoting obesity-related metabolic disorders. Because gut microbiota play an important role in immune function maintenance and development, and because titanium dioxide as a food additive has been shown to alter gut microbiota, researchers wanted to review “the dysregulations along the gut microbiota-immune system axis after oral TiO2 exposure compared to those reported in obese or diabetic patients, and to highlight potential mechanisms by which foodborne TiO2 nanoparticles may increase the susceptibility to develop obesity-related metabolic disorders.” The study authors discovered recurrent changes in the gut microbiota composition when exposed to titanium dioxide nanoparticles, with an imbalance of intestinal symbiotic microbiota. These changes and imbalances were also reported and played a role in the development of obesity, the authors wrote. This highlights “foodborne TiO2 nanoparticles as an endocrine disruptor-like chemical promoting obesity-related disorders,” the authors concluded.
THE OBSCURE HISTORY OF A UBIQUITOUS PIGMENT: PHOSPHORESCENT LITHOPONE AND ITS APPEARANCE ON DRAWINGS BY JOHN LA FARGE
EFSA has updated its safety assessment of the food additive titanium dioxide (E 171), following a request by the European Commission in March 2020.



The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) warns against sprayable products and powders that may expose users’ lungs to titanium dioxide through inhalation (10).
Introduction
Titanium dioxide is a mineral that’s used as a white coloring in a variety of products, including sunscreens, cosmetics, paints, and plastics. The pigment grade is also known as titanium white, pigment white 6, or CI 77891; it's the whitest and brightest of all known pigments.

