E171 - Titanium dioxide
By the Daat team · Updated October 30, 2026
E171 is titanium dioxide, a white mineral pigment. The EU stopped allowing it in food in 2022.
Its job is to make things white: the shell of sweets and chewing gum, icings, and sometimes white sauces.
The EU ban took effect in August 2022, after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded it could no longer be considered safe as a food additive. Other countries, including Israel and the US, have different rules, so it can still appear in imported products.
In Daat’s catalog we found E171 in 54 of 16,831 products (0.3%), mostly in cakes, biscuits and pastries and chocolate and sweets.
E171 at a glance
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Titanium dioxide |
| Function | Colour |
| Origin | Plant, mineral or synthetic |
| Vegan / vegetarian | Yes / Yes |
Is E171 vegan?
Yes. E171 has no animal source, so it suits both vegans and vegetarians.