Concern over titanium dioxide safety in food raises question for medicines

The safety of titanium dioxide as a food additive has been thrown into doubt, which itself has raised questions for drugmakers, reports PharmaLex's Thomas Eberwein.

A May 2021 evaluation from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that it was not possible to exclude genotoxicity concerns after consumption of titanium dioxide particles. Genotoxicity refers to the ability of a substance to damage the genetic information within cells, causing mutations and potentially leading to cancer.

But three trade groups representing elements of Europe’s pharma industry - Medicines for Europe, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), and the Association of the European Self-Care Industry (AESGP) – have noted that titanium dioxide has not been found to induce gene mutations during in vitro/in vivo studies.