Are chewing gums with titanium dioxide safe?
Limit intake. While widely used, titanium dioxide in food has enough evidence of concern to avoid when possible.
What's actually in it
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a white powder added to hundreds of foods and products to make them whiter or more opaque. It's in candies, chewing gum, powdered sugar, some cheeses, and white sauces.
The EU banned titanium dioxide as a food additive in 2022, citing concerns about genotoxicity. The FDA still allows it in the US. The debate centers on whether nano-sized TiO2 particles can cross the gut wall into tissue.
What the research says
A 2026 study in environ health (wash) found that characterizing Prenatal Exposure to Contemporary and Emerging Chemicals in a Prospective Cohort of Pregnant Women in Atlanta, Georgia..
Ortlund K(1), Dunlop AL(2), Barr DB(1), Liang D(1),.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Characterizing Prenatal Exposure to Contemporary and Emerging Chemicals in a Prospective Cohort of Pregnant Women in Atlanta, Georgia. | Environ Health (Wash) | 2026 |
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