How to Analyze Titanium Dioxide in Food

Titanium dioxide, TiO2, is a chemical substance widely used in the United States and abroad. It is in household cleaners, cosmetics and even in the food we eat. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of titanium dioxide as a safe ingredient for consumer products. Though titanium dioxide is non-toxic, certain people have developed allergies to it, which would make the ability to determine if it's in the food you eat extremely useful.

Instructions

• 1

  Read your labels. Titanium dioxide is a white odorlesss powder widely used as a food whitener. It should be clearly identified on most labels. It is an ingredient in most over-the-counter as well as prescribed pills and vitamin supplements. It has also been used as a whitener for skim milk and in the coating shell of many commercial candies.

• 2

  Consult with a food safety laboratory. Many commercial and government certified laboratories will run complicated chemical assays to determine the exact level of titanium dioxide in your food. Food labels are required to list the ingredient but are not required to convey the exact amount. A food safety laboratory can help you quantify the amount. It will also be able to determine if food that has not been identified as containing titanium dioxide, but you suspect may have the ingredient, actually does.

• 3

  Obtain up-to-date information from the FDA and other food regulatory agencies. The FDA maintains a website with color additive inventories and the ongoing safety profile of many chemicals including titanium dioxide. Recalls of any food items because of unsafe ingredients are made available to the general public through this website. You can also contact an FDA official with specific questions about a food item at 1-888-INFO-FDA.