Should manufacturers stop using titanium dioxide in toothpaste?
For decades, titanium dioxide was considered harmless and used in many products. However, the European Union banned its usage in food and food supplements since August 2022. The white pigment can potentially cause genetic mutations. Yet, it is still allowed in products that might be swallowed, such as toothpaste and lipsticks.
Ökotest tested and evaluated 48 different universal tubes of toothpaste.
The food ban
Titanium dioxide used to be present in foodstuffs as additive E171. It worked as a colorant and gave the white color to food.
Asked by the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted a risk assessment on the safety of E171. It concluded in the spring of 2021 that, given the concerns about the mutagenic effect of titanium dioxide, it can no longer be considered safe.
This decision was made to protect the consumer, as absorption of titanium dioxide particles after ingestion is low, but they may still accumulate in the human body.
The prohibition is also valid for food supplements sold in drugstores, supermarkets, and pharmacies. Products with the additive E171 that came to market before August 2022 can still be sold until the end of their best-before date.
Still allowed in medicines
A different approach was followed for medicines. While titanium dioxide was used in food merely for appearance, removing it from drugs may alter their effect, safety, and pharmaceutical quality. Therefore, the white pigment was not banned from pharmaceutical usage to prevent supply shortages, as reformulating these drugs requires a long and expensive approval process. A re-evaluation of titanium dioxide in medicines is planned for April 2024.
Safe on skin?
Titanium dioxide is additionally used in cosmetics and can also be found in products under the denomination CI 77891. It is considered safe to be used on the skin.
A statement from the European Commission on the use of titanium dioxide in cosmetics was expected to come in March 2023, but it might not come before 2024. For this reason, the cosmetic industry keeps using the white pigment.
Toothpaste manufacturers take more precautions
Toothpaste manufacturers are proactively eliminating titanium dioxide from the formulations of their products. They are taking into consideration the ban on titanium dioxide from foods and pressure from consumers, including parents concerned that their children swallow toothpaste every day.
In the tests performed by Ökotest, 21 of the 48 tubes of toothpaste tested still contained titanium dioxide. Nevertheless, manufacturers said they had already changed their formulations or would do it soon.
Titanium dioxide was not the only substance targeted in the tests. The presence of fluoride was also analyzed, as it is an important agent to protect against caries. Toothpaste should contain at least 1,000 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg or ppm) of fluoride. Consequently, tubes without it were given the score “deficient.”
Furthermore, lead and arsenic were detected in toothpaste without fluoride in quantities above the avoidable level defined by the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL). These heavy metals are toxic to the human body, even in small quantities. Manufacturers must keep their amounts as low as possible.
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Source: Ökotest