Additive E171: Titanium dioxide banned in food on 1 January 2020

E171 is a food additive consisting of titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles, in particular in nanoparticulate form, which is used for its coloring and opacifying properties in numerous food products (pastries, sweets, ready meals, etc.).

After receiving the opinion of the National Food Safety Agency (ANSES) and within the framework of the so-called ÉGalim law, the Ministers for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition and for the Economy and Finance decided, as a precaution, to prohibit, for one year, the placing on the market of foodstuffs containing this additive from 1^er January 2020.

Indeed, at the end of its expertise, ANSES pointed out the lack of scientific data to remove the uncertainties about the absence of risks related to E171. It therefore reiterated its recommendations to limit exposure, in particular of consumers, to this product.