Comparing E171 - Titanium dioxide vs E172I - Black iron oxide

Overview

E171 - Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide (E171) is a bright white pigment used to make foods look whiter and more opaque. It appears on labels as “titanium dioxide” or “E171” and is common in candies, chewing gum, and some tablet coatings. The European Union no longer allows it in food, while it remains permitted in the United States within strict limits.

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E172I - Black iron oxide

Black iron oxide (E172i) is a food color that gives a deep gray to black shade. It is a synthetic mineral pigment based on iron oxide, often referred to as magnetite. Food makers use it in small amounts when they want a stable, strong black tone.

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Synonyms
E171
Titanium dioxide
E172i
Black iron oxide
Functions
colour
colour
Origins
Mineral
Synthetic
Mineral
Products

Found in 8,902 products

Found in 4 products

Search rank & volume
#6544.1K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#304600 / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×0.72
under-aware

×10.30
over-aware

Search volume over time

Interest over time for 2 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Interest over time for 2 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

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Popular questions

  1. Is titanium dioxide safe?

    As a food color (E171), the EU no longer considers it safe and banned food uses in 2022 because potential genotoxicity of nano-sized particles could not be ruled out. Regulators in the U.S., UK, and several other regions still permit it within strict limits.

  2. Is titanium dioxide bad for you?

    Typical dietary exposure shows low acute toxicity, but ongoing uncertainty about DNA damage from very small particles led the EU to ban it in foods as a precaution. Occupational inhalation of TiO2 dust—not eating it—is the scenario most closely linked to cancer risk (IARC Group 2B).

  3. Is titanium dioxide safe in sunscreen?

    Yes—titanium dioxide is widely accepted as a safe, effective mineral UV filter in sunscreens when applied to skin. The main caution is avoiding inhalation of sprays or loose powders, since respiratory exposure to fine TiO2 particles is the concern flagged by IARC.

  4. What is titanium dioxide used for?

    In foods it serves as a whitening and opacifying agent in candies, chewing gum, bakery decorations, sauces, and supplement coatings. Outside food it is used heavily in paints, plastics, paper, cosmetics, and sunscreens for its brightness and UV-scattering properties.

  5. What does titanium dioxide do?

    It scatters light to create a vivid white appearance and hides underlying colors or textures, giving foods and tablets a uniform look. In personal care products it blocks and reflects UV light, contributing to SPF protection in mineral sunscreens.

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  1. What is black iron oxide used for?

    It’s a food colorant (E172) that provides black or gray tones, mainly used in surface decorations and coatings like confectionery, icings, and cheese rinds; it’s also common in capsules and tablets.

  2. How to make black iron oxide?

    Food‑grade black iron oxide is made industrially by controlled oxidation/precipitation of iron salts to form magnetite (Fe3O4), then washing, calcining, and milling to strict purity specs—not something to safely or legally produce at home.

  3. Is black iron oxide safe?

    Yes—when used within permitted limits it’s considered safe by regulators (e.g., EU E172), is poorly absorbed, and has tight impurity limits; note that allowed uses vary by country.

  4. What is black iron oxide powder?

    A fine, insoluble magnetite (Fe3O4) pigment that meets E172 food‑grade specifications and is used to color foods black; it does not meaningfully add dietary iron.

  5. What is iron oxide black?

    It’s another name for black iron oxide (magnetite, Fe3O4), the black variant of the E172 iron oxides used as a food color.

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