titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide is a whitening pigment the EU removed from human food in 2022. What it does in pet food and how Bowlmark scores it.
Also appears on labels as: titanium dioxide (color) · e171
What it is
Titanium dioxide (E171) is a whitening pigment. In 2021 the European food safety authority concluded it could no longer be considered safe as a human food additive because genotoxicity could not be ruled out, and the EU removed it from human food; it remains permitted in the US.
Why it's in pet food
Purely cosmetic: it brightens pale pieces and makes "cheese" or "cream" colored kibble read cleanly. There is no nutritional role.
How Bowlmark scores it
Scores are deterministic math over the printed label — the rules below apply to every product identically, and nothing estimates or fills in a blank.
The additive pillar deducts 15 points when titanium dioxide appears on the label, shown as a warning flag.
Common questions
Answers come from this entry and the scoring rules above — reviewed before publish, like everything else on this page. For anything about your own pet, your vet knows best.
Why was titanium dioxide banned in the EU?
In 2021 the European food safety authority concluded it could no longer be considered safe as a human food additive because genotoxicity could not be ruled out, and the EU removed it from human food; it remains permitted in the US.
Why is titanium dioxide in pet food?
Purely cosmetic: it is a whitening pigment (E171) that brightens pale pieces and makes "cheese" or "cream" colored kibble read cleanly. There is no nutritional role.
How does Bowlmark score titanium dioxide?
The additive pillar deducts 15 points when titanium dioxide appears on the label, shown as a warning flag.
Foods that list titanium dioxide
Ranked by score where scores exist. Placement here is never sold.
Sources
Related ingredients
Further reading
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Titanium dioxide in pet food — what it is and how it scores." https://www.bowlmark.com/ingredient/titanium-dioxide
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