Titanium dioxide is authorized for use as a food additive. It was of the opinion that inhaled titanium dioxide particles caused lung cancer. The Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/217 classified titanium dioxide as a carcinogenic substance by inhalation in certain powder forms. It stated the requirement of warning declarations regarding the inhalation of hazardous dust or droplets from mixtures containing titanium dioxide. Due to these toxicity concerns the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for TiO2 as a food additive was also not established.
The Court of Justice of the European Union evaluated this concern, based on the representations received from paint manufacturers. After evaluating the data, the court has annulled the Commission delegated regulation 2020/217 that classifies and labels titanium dioxide as a carcinogenic substance by inhalation, and not by ingestion. The toxicity concerns of titanium dioxide through the ingestion route may be reassessed. In India, as per FSSAI, Titanium dioxide can be used in GMP levels as a colouring agent in food products, which now raises a concern and need for its toxicity assessment.
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