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Food Additive Titanium Dioxide and Its Fate in Commercial Foods
Ji-Soo Hwang1, Jin Yu1, Hyoung-Mi Kim2
1Division of Applied Food System, Major of Food Science & Technology, Seoul Women's University, Seoul 01797, Korea.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 21, 2019
Summary
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) food additive E171 contains particles >100nm, which can aggregate in foods. These particles generate reactive oxygen species and are transported via intestinal cells, raising toxicity concerns.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Nanotechnology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Titanium dioxide (TiO2), E171, is a widely used food additive.
- Nanotechnology advancements raise concerns about nanostructured TiO2 in food.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate physicochemical properties of E171 TiO2 particles.
- Evaluate cytotoxicity and intestinal transport of E171 TiO2.
- Determine TiO2 fate and quantify it in commercial foods.
Main Methods:
- Characterized commercial E171 TiO2 particle size distribution.
- Assessed TiO2 cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species generation.
- Evaluated intestinal transport mechanisms using M cells and tight junctions.
- Developed analytical methods for TiO2 quantification in simulated foods.
Main Results:
- E171 TiO2 consists mainly of particles >100nm, aggregating in food below 1% (wt/wt).
- TiO2 particles generated reactive oxygen species and inhibited colony formation, independent of size or grade.
- TiO2 particles were transported via M cells and intestinal tight junctions.
Conclusions:
- TiO2's physicochemical properties, cytotoxicity, and transport mechanisms are characterized.
- Findings inform TiO2 food applications and toxicity predictions.
- Further research on TiO2 nanoparticle safety in food is warranted.
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