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VeilleNanos - The ban on TiO2 (E171) in food

The ban on TiO2 (E171) in food

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Ban on TiO2 (E171) in food – chronology and state of play

By the AVICENN team – Last added February 2024

This page compiles information about the ban on the additive E171 (titanium dioxide, partially nanoparticulate, used in particular in food as white coloring or varnish). This ban, in force in France since 2020, in Europe since August 2022, and in Switzerland since September 2022, is the result of collective work and contributions from NGOs (supported by AVICENN), scientists, media, parliamentarians and public authorities.

Please note:

  • Most French manufacturers and distributors did not wait for the law to remove TiO2 nanoparticles and/or E171 from their products.
  • To learn more about the risks of ingesting titanium dioxide nanoparticles, click here.
  • Many voices are calling for a ban on titanium dioxide in medicines and toothpastes.
  • And the E171 ban has had a ripple effect: E171 is now banned in over 36 countries.

In 2024

  • February 2024 : In a report broadcast on CBC News, the Market Place team investigates why certain food additives are still allowed in the USA and Canada, whereas they are banned in Europe. Among the organisms that are interviewed, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), which ruled in 2021 that the safety of E171 could not be established (see below), and the watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) which is campaigning for a ban on E171 in the USA and Canada.

In 2023

  • October 2023: The Turkish Food Codex Food Additives Regulation was updated on October 13, 2023, and bans titanium dioxide in food products from April 2024.
  • September 2023: A study by the French authorities, published in the journal Food Control, reports the results of controls carried out between 2018 and 2022 by the DGCCRF (fraud control) and the DGDDI (customs department) on the presence of E171 in food products sold in France: out of the 352 food products and 19 food additives analyzed, titanium was found in 152 samples (with a proportion of nanoparticles varying from 5.3 to 88.1%, the average being around 23.7 % and the median at 21.5%).
    Logically, the ban on E171 in 2020 led to a substantial reduction in food products containing E171: the percentage fell from 68% in 2018 to 17% in 2021.
    Products imported onto the European Union market are those where E171 is mainly – but nevertheless illegally – found: in 2022, 63% of food products containing E171 came from non-EU countries.
  • 1st of August 2023: The French website “Rappel Conso” publishes today a recall of frozen donuts by “The Nationals” because of the presence of titanium dioxide (E171).
  • July 2023 : Ban on E171 in food comes into force in Oman
  • April 2023 : at least three food products have been recalled by French authorities since the beginning of the year, because they contained the additive E171:
Left to right, Fruity Jelly candies (ABC), Delicaps slimming product (Ella Baché) and Kool-Aid kids drink powder (Kool-Aid).

In 2022

  • March 9, 2022: In Switzerland, the Federal Office of Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (OSAV) announces a ban on the use of titanium dioxide as a food additive as of March 15, 2022, with a transitional period of six months (foodstuffs may still be produced and marketed under the old law until September 15, 2022; after this date, they may be supplied to consumers until the expiry of the best-before date).

In 2021

  • 30 November 2021: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 2021/2090 of November 25, 2021 concerning the “refusal of authorization of titanium dioxide as a feed additive for all animal species” has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). It states that the authorization of titanium dioxide (E 171), as an additive in animal feed of the category “sensory additives” and of the functional group “colorants” is refused. Existing stocks and premixes containing it must be removed from the market by March 20, 2022. Feed materials and compound feeds produced with the additive or premixtures must be withdrawn from the market by 20 June 2022 at the latest.
  • October 8, 2021: Member states approved a ban on titanium dioxide in food throughout the European Union. The text should come into force at the beginning of 2022. A 6-month phase-out period will then begin, at the end of which a total ban on E171 in food products will apply. This decision was voted in the Standing Committee on Foodstuffs (SCFCAH), on the proposal of the European Commission, following the scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluding that E171 can no longer be considered safe as a food additive (see below). This news was applauded by the NGOs that worked for this ban (including Agir pour l’Environnement, Foodwatch and WECF at the French level, BEUC, CEO and HEAL or SAFE at the European level). More info here.
  • June 9, 2021: The site “Rappel Conso” publishes today an alert on Leader Price sugar-free chewing gums which contain the additive E171 banned from sale in France, because of the potential risk of colorectal cancer associated with the ingestion of titanium dioxide (partly in the form of nanoparticles).
  • 31 May 2021 : Four MEPs (Maria Arena (S&D), Martin Hojsík (Renew), Mick Wallace (The Left), Anja Hazekamp (The Left)) asked the European Commission to answer the following three questions:
    • When does the commission plan to release its proposal and when will the review of the proposal begin?
    • What is the timetable for the discussion and adoption of the proposal, “given that it is important to introduce the ban as soon as possible in order to give priority to the health and safety of people in the European Union”?
    • Does the Commission intend to restrict the additive E171 to non-food use, including medicines and cosmetics?
  • 18 May 2021: At the CPVADAA working group meeting, EFSA presented its proposal for a ban on E171 in Europe to the Member States and the European Commission ; the Member States will be reconvened after the summer to vote on the timetable for the ban to come into effect – with a right of scrutiny by the European Council and Parliament afterwards, which is necessary before the ban is finally adopted.
  • 10 May 2021 : A few days after the announcement of the upcoming ban on E171 in Europe, three substitutes to E171 are mentioned in an article of FoodIngredients1st – with what guarantees regarding their safety?:
  • 6 May 2021: The European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, has announced that the European Commission was going to propose a European ban on E171 This announcement was made just hours after the publication of the notice of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) concluding that this additive can no longer be considered “safe”, due to potential genotoxic effects (DNA damage). This is a clear shift in EFSA’s position, which until now had been adamant that E171 is safe – despite the numerous scientific publications that have been accumulating for several years and showing adverse effects. This turnaround confirms the relevance of the warnings voiced – for more than ten years now – by scientists and associations and taken seriously by the French authorities, who have suspended E171 since 2020. See below.
  • January 26, 2021: The Arte documentary La Grande Malbouffe looks back at the suspension of E171, with some of the associative, scientific, institutional and industrial actors who played a decisive role in this issue:

In 2020

  • 23 December 2020: Publication in the Official Journal of the order of December 21, 2020 “suspending the marketing of foods containing the additive E 171 (titanium dioxide – TiO2)”:
  • October 8, 2020: The European Parliament, meeting in plenary session, voted, by an overwhelming majority, the objection filed by several MEPs against the European Commission’s proposal to allow E171 additives that contain up to 50% titanium dioxide nanoparticles.
  • October 7, 2020: Exposure of pregnant women to titanium dioxide leads to accumulation of TiO2 nanoparticles in the placenta and contamination of the fetus. This study was conducted by scientists from INRAE, LNE, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux de Rouen, CHU de Toulouse, Université de Picardie Jules Verne and Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse. It confirms strong presumptions, following the publications of tests on animals. As the INRAE press release reminds us, the use of titanium dioxide in foodstuffs has been suspended in France, but it is still used in toothpastes, anti-UV screens, cosmetic creams and powders and pharmaceutical products. Hence the growing demands for its ban in cosmetics and medicines.
  • May 26, 2020: The European Commission has proposed to ban E171 additives that contain more than 50% nanoparticles. France is theoretically not affected by this measure since E171 is no longer authorized on French soil since January 1, 2020 – at least in the food industry (medicines would be concerned). But the other member states have just approved this long-awaited Community framework. Their vote must still be confirmed by the European Parliament and Council this summer. Such a measure raises several questions, notably about the 50% threshold chosen – unrelated to any health consideration. Read more here.
  • May 15, 2020: A review of the scientific literature by CEA researchers shows that particles of titanium dioxide (TiO2), of nanometric size and microscopic, lead to DNA damage on various cell types, including intestinal cells even at realistic low doses. Read more here.
  • January 13, 2020: According to a CPVADAAA meeting minutes.* of December 19, 2019 by the Dutch government, the European Commission reportedly said it “respects the French measure” but has no intention of extending it to the rest of the European Union. As previously mentioned, the Commission is awaiting the next EFSA opinion due at the end of 2020 and will continue its work on the specifications concerning the particle size distribution of E171 and the limitation of heavy metals.
  • January 1, 2020: The suspension of the food additive E171, composed of (nano)particles of titanium dioxide comes into effect in France. In a press release published a few days earlier, the association Agir pour l’Environnement welcomed this “historic and courageous decision” and stressed that manufacturers and distributors have already largely anticipated this suspension: there are now almost no products containing E171 in France. This is a “new proof of the uselessness of this additive” according to the association, which recalls at the same time its wish that this suspension of titanium dioxide is “extended to all products likely to be ingested” (toothpastes and medicines), in view of the danger of the additive confirmed by scientific studies compiled by AVICENN.

In 2019

  • December 17, 2019: 34 Members of the European Parliament (Belgian, Croatian, Greek, Irish, Italian, Luxembourg and French) wrote to the European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides asking her to ban E171 in products sold in Europe due to health risks.
  • December 2, 2019: Following the RTS program on nanoparticles in food, the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) wished to provide a “clarification” published on the website of the program that “EFSA has confirmed the absence of risk attached to the additive” [Editor’s note: a particularly biased interpretation of the opinion of EFSA whereby CEFIC does not relay the mentions relating to the uncertainties actually underlined by the European food safety agency], that “other studies conducted in accordance with OECD guidelines have not demonstrated adverse effects” and that “the Food and Environment Research Agency in the United Kingdom, the Tübitak Marmara Research Center in Turkey and the Institute for Food Safety (RIKILT) in the Netherlands have conducted a study on the oral consumption of nanometric particles and in particular titanium dioxide. This study found no significant risk from exposure to nanoparticles.”. This study is from 2015. And CEFIC does not mention the numerous studies published since then, which show alarming effects.
  • November 19, 2019: Nanoparticles in food are on the menu of “A bon entendeur”, the Swiss consumer reference program, entitled tonight: “E171, E551… would you mind a few more additives?”. LNE, INRA of Toulouse, Agir pour l’Environnement and AVICENN were among the organizations surveyed in France:
  • November 22, 2019: In response to MEP Eric Andrieu’s request to extend the E171 ban to all of Europe, Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety in the Juncker Commission, says that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considers “the use of titanium dioxide as a food additive to be safe in the light of current scientific knowledge” and that “ongoing toxicity testing, which is expected to be completed by July 2020, will further reduce the remaining uncertainties. The Commission is considering its next steps. Read more here.
  • November 4, 2019: The petition launched by the NGO SAFE (Safe Food Advocacy Europe) in partnership with Agir pour l’Environnement and ECOS to call for an EU-wide ban on E171 has surpassed 80,000 signatures.
  • October 17, 2019: E171 was on the agenda of the report on nanoparticles of the program “La Quotidienne” on France 5, with Danielle Lanquetuit of VICENN and Francelyne Marano of the University Paris-Diderot. The show is available for replay here.
  • September 30, 2019: The Foodwatch Association Netherlands announces, in a press release in Dutch that several brands have promised to remove E171 from their food products: Remia, Mora, Mars, Goodbite, Lindt, Haribo and A.Vogel following recommendations issued on August 21 by the Dutch Ministry of Food’s Bureau of Research and Risk Assessment (BuRO) to reduce consumer exposure to E171.
  • September 26, 2019: The French suspension of E171 was still on the agenda of a CPVADAAA meeting* . Member States have again expressed their preference for a harmonized approach at European level, based on the next EFSA opinion expected in July 2020. (See the minutes of the meeting)
  • September 26, 2019: The press release in which Michigan State University presents its study minimizing the effects of the additive E171 headlines the “premature” nature of the French suspension of E171. He claims that the INRA researchers (whose 2017 publication received a lot of media and government attention) did not use a control group (known as “DMH only”) in their carcinogenesis experiments, which is false, as this group was indeed part of the results. Two weeks earlier, the American study in question had been singled out by a coalition of associations, questioning its scientific rigor and independence.
  • September 16, 2019: The French ban on E171 was on the agenda of an expert meeting that took place in Brussels. As in May, the vast majority of Member States have come out in favor of a harmonized measure at the European level, based on the next EFSA opinion expected in July 2020. Several associations had previously asked their government to support the French measure and encouraged the European Commission to remove E171 from the list of authorized additives, like Test Achats in Belgium. A petition in English has been launched by the NGO Safe Food Advocacy Europe (SAFE). On the other hand, manufacturers or companies using E171 are lobbying the authorities to oppose any restriction of this additive, as shown for example by the joint letter from the German food, chemical, dye and pharmaceutical industries to the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection sent shortly before the meeting.
  • September 12, 2019: Several NGOs react following the publication of an American study minimizing the risks of the controversial additive E171 , a fortnight before a meeting in Brussels that examines the French ban on E171. Based on initial troubling elements surveyed by AVICENN (colon samples “obscured” in an unexplained way, near doubling of colorectal cancer markers considered “not significant” by the authors), Agir pour l’Environnement, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Foodwatch, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Safe Food Advocacy Europe, European Environmental Citizens’ Organisation for Standardisation (ECOS) question* the scientific rigor of the study funded by three industry associations reluctant to see E171 removed (the TiO2 Manufacturers’ Association (TDMA), the Color Manufacturers’ Association (IACM) and the Trade Association (GMA)) . * See the inter-associative press release
  • August 21, 2019: The Office of Research and Risk Assessment (BuRO) has released a notice in which he recommends to the Dutch Ministry of Food to discuss with manufacturers to reduce exposure to E171, to look into the presence of titanium dioxide in other products (including medicines), to advance research on the link between E171 and colorectal cancer.
  • 11 July 2019: Several of the NGOs that signed the inter-associative letter sent in early May to the European Commission were received by the latter to discuss the possibilities of extending the French suspension of E171 to the entire European Union.
  • July 5, 2019: The Spanish magazine OCU-Compra Maestra revealed that E171 and E551 contained in all 8 food products tested by the Spanish consumer association “Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios” (OCU) contain nanoparticles. The proportion of E171 in the product range varies (from 27 to 76% for the 4 products containing E171, 100% for the 4 products containing E551), without mentioning [nano] on the packaging, contrary to the regulations. The consumer association OCU demands the re-evaluation of these additives.
  • June 2019: The Belgian magazine Test santé n°151 devotes five pages to nanomaterials; it reveals that the E171 contained in the 6 food products tested contain nanoparticles, in varying proportions (ranging from 7 to 80%), without mention [nano] on the packaging contrary to the regulations and requests the suspension of the marketing of E171 in Belgium (among other additives).
  • May 29, 2019: The French suspension of E171 is endorsed all the way to the US by researchers interviewed by The Guardian who are also concerned about the health effects induced by nanoparticles in food.
  • May 23, 2019: In Italy, the consumer association Altroconsumo publishes the results of tests conducted on food products, which show high levels of nanoparticles in the food additives E171, E174 (silver) and E551 (silica) but not mentioned on the label. The association asks not only the suspension of E171 but also theapplication of the precautionary principle for other nanoparticulate additives.
  • May 9, 2019: In turn, the Léo Lagrange association – Defense of consumers (AALDC) publicly regrets the government’s “policy of small steps” regarding the suspension of E171. In particular, the limitation of its scope to food products sold in France, the late date of coming into force of the text, as well as the tolerance towards manufacturers regarding the disposal of stocks.
  • May 3, 2019: In a letter sent today, some 40 European associations asked the European Commission to extend the suspension of E171 to the entire European Union (and at the very least, not to cancel the measure in France).
  • April 25, 2019: Publication in the J.O. of the Order of April 17, 2019 suspending the marketing of foods containing the additive E 171 (titanium dioxide – TiO2)
  • April 19, 2019: The titanium dioxide manufacturers’ federation (TDMA) regrets France’s decision to suspend E171. The scientific argument, which is questionable, is coupled with economic considerations, undoubtedly more in line with the interests of the federation: the fear of “fragmentation and disruption of the single European market”.
  • April 1, 2019: The Member of the European Parliament Guillaume Balas (from the Génération.s movement) published on his site the European Commission’s response to the written question on E171 he asked in January: the European Commission “considers that there is currently no reason to apply precautionary measures with regard to the authorization of titanium dioxide as a food additive. A response that the MP considers “not up to the health challenge. In application of the precautionary principle, the Commission has the possibility to withdraw from the market a product that may pose a potential danger to the health of European citizens. It is therefore a choice on the part of the Commission to limit its action and to prefer the economic interests of companies to the health of citizens. Guillaume Balas says he will continue his battle “to expose this hypocrisy and protect the health of Europeans”.
  • March 28, 2019: The association Agir pour l’Environnement was received by the cabinet of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire to whom it requested the extension of the suspension of titanium dioxide (expected in the feed in mid-April) to all products that can be totally or partially ingested: toothpastes and medicines in particular. The representatives of the Ministry have excluded to widen the scope of the decree to products other than food, but confirmed that the decree of suspension of titanium dioxide in food will be taken in mid-April, in the wake of the publication of the opinion of the ANSES. More details here.
  • February 6, 2019: According to the Official Journal, the Government’s report to Parliament on the measures taken concerning the import and placing on the market, free of charge or against payment, and uses by the general public, of any foodstuff containing titanium dioxide as a food additive (E 171) has been transmitted to the Committee on Economic Affairs and to the Committee on Regional Planning and Sustainable Development of the Senate.
  • 21 January 2019: The ANIA, which represents the food industry in France, describes as a “regulatory Frexit” the unilateral suspension of E171 envisaged by the French government, which “would decredibilize the European authorities suggesting that Europe is lax and ineffective on health issues.” The ANIA nevertheless recognizes that the time has come to simplify recipes, with shorter lists of ingredients and the elimination of non-essential food additives. Concerning E171, the steps to eliminate or substitute it have already been taken (substitution is, however, complex, costly, and cannot be done overnight, and the alternatives must also be evaluated)
  • January 11, 2019: Umpteenth rebound in the soap opera concerning the suspension of E171: Bruno Le Maire finally committed himself to sign the decree of suspension of E171 by next April 15! The 22 signatories of the article published in Le Monde in December have been invited to a meeting at Bercy at 2:30 pm in the presence of Bruno Le Maire. The Minister acknowledged mistakes in the management and communication of this file and recognized the need to implement the precautionary principle to protect public health. The associations present – including Agir pour l’Environnement, CLCV, foodwatch, France Nature Environnement, Générations Futures, Sciences citoyennes, Léo Lagrange, UFC Que Choisir, 60 millions de consommateurs – welcome this clarification from the Minister, even if they regret that this suspension will take three more months. To relive and follow on twitter.
  • January 10, 2019: The deputy Delphine Batho said this afternoon on her twitter account that she has requested that the minister Bruno Le Maire, who refuses to apply the law, be summoned before the relevant committees of the National Assembly. In addition, the arbitration on the suspension of E171 would be “not yet completed” according to Agir pour l’Environnement, which met with the cabinet of François de Rugy in late afternoon. These words reported by Le Journal de l’Environnement qualify the picture: the interministerial arbitration does not seem to be over yet.
  • January 9, 2019: Following the announcement of Bruno Le Maire not to suspend E171, reactions are pouring in. AVICENN relays them on the twitter account Veillenanos and will soon compile them on this website. To be continued…
  • January 8, 2019: The Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire confirmed tonight in the program “C à vous” on France 5 that he did not intend to sign the suspension of (nano) particles of titanium dioxide in food (additive E171) for many months (or even longer: he wishes to wait for the opinion of the ANSES, and depending on this, request a new referral to the EFSA, etc.). This answer confirms the elements that we had collected during the ANSES dialogue committee on November 26, those relayed by APMnews on December 26 (which cited as a reason that the Ministry could not go against the European Commission) followed by a Europe 1 article of January 2, which stated that the department had gone so far as to say that “it is now up to the consumer to be careful”.

In 2018

  • 24 December 2018: In an article published in Le Monde today, 22 organizations call on Minister Bruno Le Maire, to make effective as soon as possible the suspension of the food additive E171, composed of titanium dioxide (some of which in the form of nanoparticles). Despite a strong commitment from the government and parliamentarians, Bercy is engaging in a blockade that is deemed unacceptable by the co-signatories, who are calling for the implementation of this important public health measure without further delay. When this information was announced, the MP Matthieu Orphelin immediately reacted on twitter : “Article 53 of the #EGalim law is very clear: suspension of the additive E171 and a report to parliament before Jan 1, 2019 on the proper implementation of this decision. Let’s not go backwards”.
  • November 26: In contradiction with the official position of the French authorities, the DGCCRF indicated that it did not intend at this stage to draft the decree of application of the suspension of E171, on the grounds that the evidence of “serious or immediate danger” had not yet been provided. This statement contradicts the government’s commitment in the spring, reinforced by the vote of the Parliament in the fall as part of the Food Law (this temporary ban is one of the few measures applauded by the associations to have been retained in the final version of the law). This announcement of the DGCCRF was made during the dialogue committee “nano and health” of the ANSES, in which Avicenn and several other associations participated. More information provided, upon request, to our members and associate members.
  • November 8: “Now that the law has been published in the Official Journal, do you have more information on the timetable and content of the order concerning the suspension of E171 as provided for in its article 53”? This is the question that AVICENN asked again to the DGCCRF (answer pending).
  • November 7, 2018: Fabrice Nesslany, from the Pasteur Institute, considers that “the usefulness (of E171) is so low, and with the doubts that still exist today (…), it is useless, so while we wait for more consolidated studies, let’s not use it” in a nano conference at the Maison de la Chimie in Paris
  • November 2, 2018: Héloïse Proquin’s thesis defense on the role of E171 in the development of colorectal cancer at Maastricht University in the Netherlands: “the classification of E171 as free of toxic effects due to its insolubility and inertness is no longer valid (…); the presence of inflammation found in animal models after ingestion of E171 could aggravate inflammatory bowel disease and its adverse effects on the development of colorectal cancer. Therefore, we recommend that experiments (…) with emphasis on human testing, be conducted for further evaluation of E171 on its potential adverse effects on cancer recovery, immune system dysregulation and inflammation. This new data would provide human effects information for a full risk assessment, which could lead to a change in the use of E171 in food products: reducing the amount of nanoparticles, setting a maximum level of use in food products, more strictly limiting the types of products in which it can be used, or even suspending the product itself.”.
  • November 1, 2018: The Food Law has been published in the official journal: according to its article 53

… “The placing on the market of the additive E 171 (titanium dioxide-TiO2) and foodstuffs containing it is suspendedunder the conditions set out in the Article L. 521-17 of the Consumer Code and section 54 of the Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety. The Government shall submit a report to Parliament by 1 January 2019 at the latest on all measures taken concerning the importation and placing on the market, free of charge or against payment, of any foodstuff containing titanium dioxide as a food additive (E 171) and consumer uses.”

  • 18 October 2018: AVICENN asks the Ministry of the Environment when the ministerial decree acting the suspension of E171 will be published via social networks (facebook & twitter)
  • 5 October 2018: AVICENN asks the DGCCRF when will be published the ministerial order acting the suspension of E171
  • September 19, 2018: friends of the earth Germany publishes analytical results of Jacobs cappuccino powder and Wrigleys chewing gums, containing 100% silicon dioxide (E551) and 8% titanium dioxide (E171) nanoparticles respectively

“The placing on the market of the additive E 171 (titanium dioxide TiO2) as well as foodstuffs containing it is suspended, under the conditions provided for in Article L. 521-17 of the Consumer Code and in Article 54 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety
The Government shall, by January 1, 2019, submit a report to Parliament on all measures taken concerning the importation and placing on the market, free of charge or against payment, of any food containing titanium dioxide as a food additive (E 171) and consumer uses.”

  • July 4, 2018: EFSA has considered that the four studies mentioned by France to request the suspension of E171 certainly pointed to concerns, but contained uncertainties, thus limiting their relevance to risk assessment. It concluded, once again, with the adage “further research is needed to reduce the level of uncertainty”
  • June 29, 2018: confirmation by the Senate of the vote of the National Assembly in favor of suspending the marketing of the additive E171 as well as foodstuffs containing it: see Amendment 734 adopted as part of the “Food Law”
  • May 27, 2018: vote by the National Assembly of the government’s amendment No. 2557 to suspend “the marketing of the additive E171 (titanium dioxide – TiO2) as well as foodstuffs containing it” under the Food Law
  • May 18, 2018: announcement by Secretary of State Brune Poirson of a withdrawal of E171 from the market before the end of 2018

In 2017

  • October 2017: during the Etats généraux de l’alimentation, Agir pour l’Environnement, France nature environnement and Générations Futures ask, with the help of a mini comic book, for a ban on E171 in all products likely to be ingested (food, but also medicines and toothpastes)
  • January 2017: The Government refers to the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (Anses) on the conclusions of the INRA study published a few days earlier (see press release, January 20, 2017)

In 2016

  • June 2016: The association Agir pour l’Environnement publishes first tests attesting to the presence of unlabeled nanoparticles in food in France
  • April 2016: Francelyne Marano, from the University of Paris-Diderot, writes in her book Should we be afraid of nanos? : “when their addition does not correspond to a specific need other than improving the attractiveness of the product, for example in candy or chewing gum (…), [nanoparticles of titanium dioxide] should be prohibited because they do not provide any benefit”

In 2015

“boycott these products, you don’t need to eat this crap!” – José Bové in March 2015

In 2013

In 2010-2011

In 2009

Upcoming Nano Agenda

4
Avr.
2024
Managing the risks associated with nanomaterials (CEA, Grenoble)
Grenoble
Training
  • Awareness-raising aimed at personnel in contact with nanomaterials during research, formulation, production, maintenance, cleaning, upkeep, etc., as well as safety coordinators or engineers, facility managers, heads of laboratories where nanoparticles are handled.
  • Organizers: INSTN Grenoble (CEA)
  • On the agenda: potential impact on health; metrology and protection; control of potential risks associated with nanomaterials; consideration of societal aspects.
  • Website: https://instn.cea.fr/formation/maitrise-des-risques-lies-aux-nanomateriaux-sensibilisation
30
Avr.
2024
Managing the risks associated with nanomaterials (CEA, Grenoble)
Grenoble
Training
  • Awareness-raising aimed at personnel in contact with nanomaterials during research, formulation, production, maintenance, cleaning, upkeep, etc., as well as safety coordinators or engineers, facility managers, heads of laboratories where nanoparticles are handled.
  • Organizers: INSTN Grenoble (CEA)
  • On the agenda: potential impact on health; metrology and protection; control of potential risks associated with nanomaterials; consideration of societal aspects.
  • Website: https://instn.cea.fr/formation/maitrise-des-risques-lies-aux-nanomateriaux-sensibilisation
6
Juin
2024
Managing the risks associated with nanomaterials (CEA, Grenoble)
Grenoble
Training
  • Awareness-raising aimed at personnel in contact with nanomaterials during research, formulation, production, maintenance, cleaning, upkeep, etc., as well as safety coordinators or engineers, facility managers, heads of laboratories where nanoparticles are handled.
  • Organizers: INSTN Grenoble (CEA)
  • On the agenda: potential impact on health; metrology and protection; control of potential risks associated with nanomaterials; consideration of societal aspects.
  • Website: https://instn.cea.fr/formation/maitrise-des-risques-lies-aux-nanomateriaux-sensibilisation

Notes and references

  • 1
    replace Tio2 in its M&Ms recipes with rice starch

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