EU: Ban on titanium dioxide dye in food possible
Brussels (dpa) - Chewing gum, sweets and other foods will probably have to do without the widely used white dye titanium dioxide in 2022. EU member states approved a proposal by the EU Commission to ban the additive from foods because of possible cancer risks.
"The safety of our food and the health of our consumers are non-negotiable", EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Friday.
Foodwatch welcomes proposal
The substance, known as E171, is also found in baked goods, soups and salad dressings. The EU Commission had submitted its proposal in the spring based on a revised recommendation from the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa). Food Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) had also called for an EU-wide ban on the use of the substance in food products.
The consumer protection organization Foodwatch, which has been campaigning for the titanium dioxide ban for some time, spoke on Friday of a "step in the right direction". Now the EU should review and reduce "the other more than 300 food additives approved in Europe", spokesman Andreas Winkler stated. "In terms of preventive health protection, all controversial additives must be banned."
EU states and the European Parliament now have until the end of the year to object the ban. Otherwise, it will come into force at the beginning of 2022, according to the EU Commission. There will then be a six-month phase-out period.
Source: Zeit.de
German Press Agency (dpa)
Image Source: Wikipedia
European Food Safety Authority