It's also worth noting that even prior to the EU decision, France had already outlawed titanium dioxide in food back in January 2020.
According to the American Chemistry Council, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an inorganic substance that's used as a white powder in a variety of industrial and consumer goods, including in sunscreen, cosmetics, toothpaste, paint, plastics, food and more.
A safety review conducted by the EFSA in 2021 assessed thousands of studies published on titanium dioxide.
Prof Matthew Wright, both a member of the FAF Panel and chair of EFSA’s working group on E 171, said: “Although the evidence for general toxic effects was not conclusive, on the basis of the new data and strengthened methods we could not rule out a concern for genotoxicity and consequently we could not establish a safe level for daily intake of the food additive.”

Ability to scatter and absorb UV radiation makes TiO2 a crucial ingredient for sunscreen, protecting the skin from harmful, cancer-causing UV rays.