Titanium dioxide can be on the list of substances that cause cancer in humans, reports Lkmportal, citing a European Commission regulation of October 4.

So, on September 18, expert hearings were held. At the event, half of the representatives of EU member states supported the EU project on the attribution of titanium dioxide to carcinogens, and the rest spoke out against.

However, the European Commission, despite objections, decided to classify raw materials as a substance that (literally) “can cause cancer in humans.”

If the European Parliament or the Council does not submit any objections within the next two months, the document will enter into force in the summer of 2021. The new requirement concerns titanium dioxide products in the form of a powder containing 1% or more of a substance with a particle size of 10 microns or less.

Suppliers and manufacturers will be required to inform consumers about the dangers of the product as a carcinogen. Liquid products, the content of titanium dioxide (paint and varnish materials, for example), will have to have a warning on the danger of spraying on the packaging.

The decision of the EU has been criticized by manufacturers of paint and varnish and printing inks. In particular, Martin Engelmann, representative of the German Paint and Printing Association, said that there were serious doubts about the legality of such changes. The Titanium Dioxide Manufacturers Association noted that it regrets the decision and plans to further evaluate it.

The American Chemistry Council’s Titanium Dioxide Stewardship Council said the decision was not justified. Representatives of the Association are considering all options to challenge it.

As previously reported, food supplement E171 (titanium dioxide) is recognized in France as hazardous to health. The sale of products containing E171 will be banned from January 1, 2020. France is the first country in which the use of titanium dioxide in the food industry will be officially banned.