After conducting a review of all the relevant available scientific evidence, EFSA concluded that a concern for genotoxicity of TiO₂ particles cannot be ruled out. Based on this concern, EFSA’s experts no longer consider titanium dioxide safe when used as a food additive. This means that an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI ) cannot be established for E171.

Rebecca Capua is an assistant conservator in the Paper Conservation Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 2009. She received an MA in art history and an Advanced Certificate in art conservation from the Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University in 2007. Her primary area of research is on the materials of American artists of the late 19th and early 20th century. Address: The Sherman Fairchild Center for the Conservation of Works on Paper, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028. Email: rebecca.capua@metmuseum.org.

Different dermal cell types have been reported to differ in their sensitivity to nano-sized TiO₂ . Kiss et al. exposed human keratinocytes (HaCaT), human dermal fibroblast cells, sebaceous gland cells (SZ95) and primary human melanocytes to 9 nm-sized TiO₂ particles at concentrations from 0.15 to 15 μg/cm² for up to 4 days. The particles were detected in the cytoplasm and perinuclear region in fibroblasts and melanocytes, but not in kerati-nocytes or sebaceous cells. The uptake was associated with an increase in the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration. A dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell proliferation was evident in all cell types, whereas in fibroblasts an increase in cell death via apoptosis has also been observed. Anatase TiO₂ in 20–100 nm-sized form has been shown to be cytotoxic in mouse L929 fibroblasts. The decrease in cell viability was associated with an increase in the production of ROS and the depletion of glutathione. The particles were internalized and detected within lysosomes. In human keratinocytes exposed for 24 h to non-illuminated, 7 nm-sized anatase TiO_2, a cluster analysis of the gene expression revealed that genes involved in the “inflammatory response” and “cell adhesion”, but not those involved in “oxidative stress” and “apoptosis”, were up-regulated. The results suggest that non-illuminated TiO₂ particles have no significant impact on ROS-associated oxidative damage, but affect the cell-matrix adhesion in keratinocytes in extracellular matrix remodelling. In human keratinocytes, Kocbek et al. investigated the adverse effects of 25 nm-sized anatase TiO₂ (5 and 10 μg/ml) after 3 months of exposure and found no changes in the cell growth and morphology, mitochondrial function and cell cycle distribution. The only change was a larger number of nanotubular intracellular connections in TiO₂-exposed cells compared to non-exposed cells. Although the authors proposed that this change may indicate a cellular transformation, the significance of this finding is not clear. On the other hand, Dunford et al. studied the genotoxicity of UV-irradiated TiO₂ extracted from sunscreen lotions, and reported severe damage to plasmid and nuclear DNA in human fibroblasts. Manitol (antioxidant) prevented DNA damage, implying that the genotoxicity was mediated by ROS.

No. The titanium dioxide we use in our toothpastes has been proven safe by health experts around the world. It is used in our toothpastes as a white colourant, in a non-nano form as defined by European regulations. It is an approved colourant in cosmetics, and we comply with all the regulations applicable to it.

New adjustments have been announced for tariff rates, which will benefit the chemical industry in China in particular, due to decreased import and export tariffs for several chemicals. The export tariff for ilmenite will stay unchanged by 10% and the rate for ferrotitanium decreased by 5% down to 20%.