Titanium dioxide amounts and particle sizes in various foods
What it found
Foods contained titanium dioxide at levels from 3 to 2400 mg per kg.
Particle sizes ranged from 30 to 410 nm.
What they found
Amounts found in food
The average titanium dioxide levels across the tested foods ranged from 3 to 2400 mg per kg.
Particle sizes in food
The tiny particles of titanium dioxide in the food samples varied in size from 30 to 410 nm.
What the authors conclude
- They note that food packaging lists E171 but does not tell shoppers how much is actually inside.
- They say measuring the real amounts of titanium dioxide in food is very important for human health.
How it was done
Food labels list E171 but do not say how much is used. The authors wanted to measure the actual amounts because this matters for human health.
They tested sweets, chewing gums, chocolates and white coloured foods. They measured the amount of titanium dioxide using a lab technique called ICP-OES. They checked particle sizes with an electron microscope.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work only measured what was in the food, so it cannot show what happens when people eat it.
- It did not look at any health effects in people or animals.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey
The paper
- Title
- Determination of titanium dioxide nanoparticles used in various foods
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Sungur Ş, Kaya P, Koroglu M (2020). Determination of titanium dioxide nanoparticles used in various foods. Food additives & contaminants. Part B, Surveillance. doi:10.1080/19393210.2020.1769193PubMed 32456558DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error