The EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF) has approved the European Commission's proposal for a ban on the use of titanium dioxide (E171) as a food additive, starting in early 2022.
The proposal was based on a revised EFSA scientific opinion, which concluded that E171 could no longer be considered as safe when used as a food additive, mainly due to concerns on its potential genotoxicity.
The ban will come into force at the end of the two-month scrutiny period and in the absence of any objections, with a 6-month phase-out period in place before full implementation. The notification process at the WTO is also under way.
For further information, you can consult the Commission Q&A.