In food products, E171 is not a singular ingredient; it’s always combined with other ingredients (e.g., proteins and fats) in the food product. Digesting food is a slow process for the body compared to drinking a beverage, which passes much faster through the body. 

The main concern with nanoparticles is that they are so tiny that they are absorbed into the skin more than we want them (ideally sunscreen should remain on the surface of the skin). Once absorbed they might form unwanted complexes with proteins and they might promote the formation of evil free radicals. But do not panic, these are concerns under investigation. A 2009 review article about the safety of nanoparticles summarizes this, to date, in-vivo and in-vitro studies have not demonstrated percutaneous penetration of nanosized particles in titanium dioxide and zinc oxide sunscreens. The English translation is, so far it looks like sunscreens with nanoparticles do stay on the surface of the skin where they should be.  

One of the most widely used food pigments is titanium dioxide, an odorless powder that enhances the white color or opacity of foods and over-the-counter products, including coffee creamers, candies, sunscreen, and toothpaste (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

Here, NaOH or NH3 · H2O is used as a precipitant or pH regulator to react with FeSO4 to form ferrous hydroxide precipitation; Air is used as oxidant; The iron sheet reacts with sulfuric acid produced during the oxidative hydrolysis of FeSO4 to provide ferrous ions required in the reaction system and maintain the pH value of the solution. The alkali consumption of acid method is less and the particles are easy to wash. The relative rates of seed preparation and crystal growth determine the particle size, particle size distribution and particle morphology of iron yellow particles.