Is E171 banned in UK food?

Yes. The EU banned E171 (titanium dioxide) as a food additive on 7 August 2022 following EFSA's 2021 scientific opinion that genotoxicity could no longer be ruled out, and the ban is retained in UK food law. E171 may not be added to food sold in the UK.

EFSA's May 2021 scientific opinion concluded that titanium dioxide could no longer be considered safe as a food additive because genotoxicity (chromosomal damage to DNA) could not be ruled out, particularly from the nano-sized fraction of the particles. EFSA could not set a safe daily intake, which led to the EU food ban.

E171

BANNED IN EU AND UK FOOD

Titanium Dioxide

Q: Is E171 still allowed in medicines and toothpaste?

Yes. The 2022 ban applies only to food use. Titanium dioxide remains permitted in medicines (typically as a pill or tablet coating) and in non-food products such as toothpaste, cosmetics and sunscreen, where it is regulated under separate legislation.

Last reviewed: 11 May 2026

White colourant and opacifier — no longer permitted in UK or EU food.

Banned in EU and UK food since August 2022

The EU banned E171 (titanium dioxide) as a food additive on 7 August 2022, following the European Food Safety Authority's May 2021 scientific opinion that titanium dioxide could no longer be considered safe as a food additive due to genotoxicity concerns — specifically, the potential for chromosomal damage from the nano-sized fraction of the particles. The ban is retained in UK food law. Manufacturers may not add E171 to food sold in the UK or the EU. Titanium dioxide remains permitted in medicines (typically as a pill or tablet coating) and in non-food products including toothpaste, cosmetics and sunscreens, where it is regulated under separate legislation. The United States FDA still authorises E171 in food — a notable transatlantic divergence, so US-imported confectionery and baked goods may still contain it.

What it is

E171 is titanium dioxide (TiO₂) — a brilliant white inorganic pigment, used historically in food as both a whitening agent and an opacifier (it makes coloured coatings look denser and more vivid by hiding what's behind them). The food-grade specification was a finely milled white powder containing a mixture of particle sizes; a meaningful fraction of those particles fell into the nano-particle range (smaller than 100 nanometres), which became central to the 2021 EFSA opinion and the subsequent ban. Titanium dioxide does not dissolve in water — the pigment effect comes from the particles scattering light, not from a chemical reaction with the food matrix.

Where it used to appear on a UK label

Before the 2022 ban, E171 was widely used in:

White-coated confectionery — the white candy shell on M&Ms, Skittles, Smarties, Mentos and similar lines
Chewing gum — the white pellet or shell coating
White mints and white novelty sweets
Icing, frosting and royal icing for cakes
Marshmallows and mallow confectionery
Ready-meal sauces — particularly white pasta sauces, white dressings and coffee creamers
Processed cheese slices for whiteness uniformity
Some white-decorated baked goods and decorations

UK reformulations are now in their fourth year. Brands have moved to alternatives including calcium carbonate, rice starch, or simply darker, untreated finishes. Some legacy stock or US-imported products on UK shelves may still carry E171 in their ingredients list; if they do, they are non-compliant with retained UK food law and should not be sold.

What the science shows

EFSA's 2021 scientific opinion

EFSA's CEF Panel published its re-evaluation of titanium dioxide as a food additive on 6 May 2021 (EFSA Journal 2021;19(5):6585). The opinion concluded:

A concern for genotoxicity could not be ruled out — particularly the potential for chromosomal damage from the nano-sized particle fraction, which is taken up by cells and can interact with DNA-bearing structures during cell division.
Because genotoxicity could not be excluded, EFSA could not establish a safe daily intake (ADI).
Without a safe ADI, the food additive could no longer be considered safe.

The European Commission acted on the opinion: Regulation (EU) 2022/63 removed E171 from the list of authorised food additives, with a six-month transitional period for products already on the market. The ban took full effect on 7 August 2022. The UK retained the same prohibition under the parallel retained-EU-law framework.

Other published findings

The EFSA opinion drew on a substantial published literature including animal feeding studies showing E171 accumulation in the liver, spleen and intestinal tissues, and in-vitro studies suggesting effects on intestinal barrier function and immune-cell signalling at doses relevant to human dietary exposure. These were the supporting strands; the load-bearing finding was the unresolved genotoxicity question.

Where titanium dioxide is still permitted

The 2022 food-additive ban does not extend to:

Medicines — titanium dioxide is widely used as a pill or capsule coating; the European Medicines Agency reviewed the alternatives and concluded that an immediate ban for pharmaceuticals would risk delays to essential medicines, so use continues under MHRA/EMA oversight while alternative excipients are developed.
Toothpaste and oral care — regulated under cosmetic legislation.
Cosmetics, foundations and creams
Sunscreens — titanium dioxide is a UVA/UVB physical blocker and one of two minerals (with zinc oxide) used in mineral sunscreens.
Paints, inks and industrial coatings

Regulatory status

Region	Status in food	Notes
European Union	BANNED	Regulation (EU) 2022/63; effective 7 August 2022
United Kingdom	BANNED	Ban retained under UK food law
United States	ALLOWED	FDA permits use as a colour additive in food
Canada	ALLOWED	Health Canada permits use; review ongoing
Australia/New Zealand	ALLOWED	FSANZ permits use; reassessment in progress

If you buy US-imported confectionery from a specialist retailer in the UK, check the ingredients — the same brand may carry E171 in its US formulation and not in its UK-market formulation.

Reading a UK label

From August 2022, no UK food on shelf should declare titanium dioxide or E171 in its ingredients list. If you find a product that does, it is either non-compliant legacy stock or an imported product that has not been reformulated for the UK market. Helpful UK signals that a product is post-reformulation include white candy shells listing calcium carbonate (E170), rice starch, or simply nothing in the whitening position. The change applies to medicines and toothpaste separately — those products may still contain titanium dioxide, and that is permitted under the separate medicines and cosmetics regulations.

Spot any residual E171 with NutraSafe

Scan any UK pack and we surface every E-number in the ingredients list. From August 2022, no compliant UK food product should show E171 — if you spot it on a scan, you've found a non-compliant pack worth reporting.

Get NutraSafe on the App Store

Last updated: 11 May 2026