Listen in as the chatters talk with professor Laurence Macia, one of the authors of a new mouse study out of the University of Sydney published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, regarding E171 a common ingredient found in 900 products including mayo, chewing gum, toothpaste, sunscreen and even paint.
The research points to the fact that the food additive titanium dioxide, which appears as E171 on labels, can have a harmful affect on the gut’s natural bacteria causing inflammatory bowel diseases and even cancer. The food additive is used as a whitening agent. Its usage in foods, medicines and clothing has increased considerably in the last decade, despite insufficient evidence about its safety.

E 171 is part of a group of nanoparticles. Exposure to nanoparticles has previously been linked to dementia, auto-immune disease, eczema, asthma, autism and increasing the spread of cancer. France has already announced titanium dioxide would be banned from products as of 2020 following a 2017 review into the additive. FSANZ the Australian governing body for food additives is not concerned and there is “no Australian ban planned”.

This is about educating yourself about foods in the market place and their additives and being ahead of government guidelines.