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Titanium dioxide (Titanium dioxide, titanium dioxide, titanium whitewash, E171).
Titanium dioxide is a chemical belonging to the group of food dyes, a strong bleach and white dye. In the international classification of food additives, titanium dioxide is assigned the index E171. It is the main product of the titanium industry (only about 5% of titanium ore is used for the production of pure titanium).
The composition of the E171 Titanium dioxide dye is determined by the method of its preparation: it is produced from ilmenite concentrate using the sulfate method or from titanium tetrochloride using the chloride method.
Synonyms and international names
Titanium oxide (IV), Titanium dioxide, Titanium whitewash, Titanium anhydride, CI 77891, Pigment white, Titanic acid anhydride, Titanium oxide.
General Characteristics of Titanium Dioxide
Titanium dioxide is a crystalline or powdery substance of white color or transparent, tasteless and odorless (calorizator). When heated, titanium dioxide changes color to yellow, it does not dissolve in water. Natural sources of titanium dioxide are minerals (brucite, rutile), it is obtained by isolation from titanium-containing ores. When used in the food industry, the main property of E171 is applied – without affecting the smell and taste to improve the organoleptic properties of food. The molecular formula isTiO2.
Benefits and harms of E171
The effects of E171 Titanium dioxide on the human body are not fully understood, so the supplement is considered conditionally harmless until the harm from its use is proven. It is known for certain that the dye E171 is not absorbed by the intestine and does not dissolve in gastric juice, does not accumulate in the body and is completely eliminated after a fairly short time. However, there is unconfirmed evidence that inhaling titanium dioxide powder increases the risk of cancer.
Application of E171
Titanium dioxide is often used as a bleach in the production of food products – chewing gum, milk powder, crab sticks and meat, confectionery, fast breakfasts.
In addition to the food industry, Titanium dioxide is used in cosmetology, the substance has the property of giving light-tightness and snow-white color to cosmetics, this is especially in demand in the production of creams and sprays for tanning with a high degree of protection from UV radiation.
It is also used in the manufacture of paint and varnish materials, in particular, titanium whitewash, in the production of plastics, in the production of laminated paper, in the production of rubber products, glass production (heat-resistant and optical glass), as a refractory (coating of welding electrodes and coatings of molds).
Use of E171
Thу law allows manufacturers of food products to use titanium dioxide in volumes that, from the point of view of manufacturers, allow them to achieve the necessary technological effect. On the territory of our country, the use of E171 as a food additive-dye is allowed, the permissible daily rate of consumption of the substance is not determined.