12 JULY 2022 | INSIGHT
INGREDIENT WATCH: WHITE
FOOD COLOURS
The safety of food colours like titanium dioxide has long been debated, but in
markets where regulations do not limit their use, such food colours remain
prevalent.
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Emma Schofield, Associate
Director - Global Food
Science
https://clients.mintel.com/insight/ingredient-watch-white-food-colours
Mintel's perspective
What is it?
Titanium dioxide (E171) is a food additive used as a white food colour in products such as confectionery
and supplements.
European Commission regulation 2022/63 of 14th January 2022 withdraws authorisation to use the food
additive titanium dioxide in food products, with an effect date six months after the regulation enters
force.
Why is it important?
The EC ban on titanium dioxide follows EFSA's 2021 opinion on the safety of this food additive, which
concluded that concern for the genotoxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles could not be ruled out.
Alternative white colour solutions, such as calcium carbonate, could see increased demand, especially
in the EU.
What is next?
EU regulatory changes for titanium dioxide could reignite safety concerns by the media (and thereby
consumers) and regulatory bodies in other regions. However, using the 'Southampton Six' as a
precedent, EU regulatory changes may not significantly impact the use of food colouring ingredients in
other regions over the long term.
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EU regulatory changes can create opportunities for alternatives
to titanium dioxide
In Europe, launches with titanium dioxide are declining; for example, the percentage of European sugar
and gum confectionery launches that contain titanium dioxide decreased to 4%, down from 10% five years
prior.
The declining use of titanium dioxide suggests opportunities for white-colour alternatives, such as those
marketed by companies like Blue California, Lonza, ADM and Sensient.
Europe: % of launches that contain titanium dioxide, top categories for titanium dioxide, 201722
% of launches
20
April 2017-March 2018
April 2018-March 2019
April 2020-March 2021
April 2021-March 2022
April 2019-March 2020
16
19 15
11
8
10
1010 9
6
4
11 11 1
4 4
3 2
1
22 2
1
2
22
11 1
0
All food, drink
and
supplements
Vitamins and
dietary
supplements
Sugar and gum
confectionery
Chocolate
confectionery
Bakery
Desserts and
ice cream
Source: Mintel GNPD (all food, drink and supplement launches, vitamins and dietary supplements, sugar
and gum confectionery, chocolate confectionery, bakery, desserts and ice cream), April 2017-March 2022
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Starches and minerals are used to replace titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide is not always replaced with an ingredient added to provide colour. Instead, producers rely
on white-colour-imparting ingredients in the recipe, like sugar.
Starches like rice starch can impart white colour
Tic Tac Fresh Mint-flavoured Mints. Ingredients: sugar, maltodextrin,
rice starch, artificial flavour, gum arabic, natural flavour, artificial
flavour, magnesium stearate and carnauba wax (Canada).
Calcium carbonate for white colour in icing
Meine Kuchen Welt Panna Cotta Doughnuts. Ingredients listed as
colour include: carotene, calcium carbonate and various colouring
foods, including radish-, blackcurrant-, and sweet potato- concentrate
(Germany).
Modified or native corn starch impart white colour
Yummallo [Micro] Rainbow Marshmallows contains glucose syrup,
white sugar, water, gelatin, corn starch, natural flavourings, tartrazine,
allura red AC, and brilliant Blue FCF (US).
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The 'Southampton Six' offers a precedent as to whether EU
regulatory change is likely to impact titanium dioxide use in
other regions
The safety of food colours has long been debated
The safety of many food colours, namely artificial colours, has been debated for decades, with the 2007
'Southampton Six' research the most influential.
The Southampton Six are those food colours that were the subject of the McCann et. al., study (2007),
which suggested a link between certain food colours and behavioural issues in children, such as
hyperactivity.
As a consequence of the Southampton Six research, the UK FSA concluded that these six colours should
be voluntarily removed from food and drink in the UK by 2009.
EU regulations challenge artificial colours
Subsequently, in 2010, EU authorities adopted a new labelling regulation requiring products containing any
of the Southampton Six to feature the warning message 'may have an adverse effect on activity and
attention in children'.
Out of the Southampton Six colours, three are approved for use in food products in the US.
• sunset yellow FCF (E110, US FD&C No.6)
• allura red (E129, US FD&C No.40)
• tartrazine (E102, US FD&C No.5)
• quinoline yellow (E104)
• carmoisine (azorubine, E122)
• ponceau 4R (E124)
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Artificial colours remain commonplace outside of Europe,
despite publicity over their safety for use in food and drink
Such regulatory activity had a profound and lasting impact on the use of artificial food colours in European
launches, with the percentage of sugar and gum confectionery launches containing an artificial food colour
decreasing from 31% in 2007 to 10% in 2021.
However, the declining use of artificial food colours in Europe is not a trend witnessed in other regions such
as North or Latin America where, despite negative publicity over the safety of some artificial colours, use of
artificial colours has remained relatively static in launches.
For example, the percentage of North American sugar and gum confectionery launches that contained an
artificial colour in 2021 was 59%, down 6 percentage points from 65% in 2007 (the publication year of the
Southampton Six research).
Global: % of sugar and gum confectionery launches that contain an artificial colour, by region,
2007, 2014 and 2021
2007
2014
2021
80
64
65 64
61 62
59
% of launches
60
42
40
36
31
20
29
27
30
23
15
10
0
Europe
APAC
Latin America
Middle East and
Africa
North America
Source: Mintel GNPD: (Global, Europe, APAC, Latin America, MEA, North America), January-December
2007, January-December 2014, January-December 2021
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Artificial colours like allura red, sunset yellow and tartrazine
remain prevalent outside of Europe
In Europe, sunset yellow, tartrazine and allura red (three of the Southampton Six) have almost been
phased out of NPD in the sugar and gum confectionery category.
However, safety concerns that led to the regulatory activity that limited their use in Europe did not effect
comparable changes to the use of these artificial colours in other regions like North America.
Global: % of sugar and gum confectionery launches that contain selected groups of food colours,
2017-22
All food colour ingredients
All colouring food ingredients
All artificial colour ingredients
Sunset yellow FCF
% of launches
50
68
34
21
9 14 1111
2
57
3939
33
19
3
3
57
424037
7
21
8
Latin America
North America
63
51
28
12 8
1 110
Europe
Source: Mintel GNPD, April 2017-March 2022
7
Tartrazine
80
0
Middle East &
Africa
Brilliant blue FCF
Erythrosine
100
65
Allura red AC
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27
1116159
5
1
Asia Pacific
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Outside of Europe, titanium dioxide remains stable in key
categories like sugar and gum confectionery
As with sunset yellow, tartrazine and allura red, in regions such as North America there is no clear trend
towards a decline in titanium dioxide in sugar and gum confectionery launches.
When using the Southampton Six as a precedent, regulatory change to food colours in Europe will not
necessarily impact the use of these colours in other regions.
Global: % of sugar and gum confectionery launches that contain titanium dioxide as an
ingredient listed on pack, 2017 to 2022
April 2017-March 2018
April 2018-March 2019
April 2020-March 2021
April 2021-March 2022
April 2019-March 2020
% of launches
30
24
22
20
18 18
20
1718
1516 15
15 1414
11
14
10
1010 9
6
8 7
4
5 6 6
0
Latin America
North America
Middle East &
Africa
Europe
APAC
Source: Mintel GNPD (Latin America, North America, MEA, Europe, APAC), April 2017-March 2022
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In the US, price, flavour and sugar content are more important
than attributes linked to the clean label trend, such as 'no
artificial colours'
Although titanium dioxide is of mineral origin rather than an artificial colour, due to concerns over its safety
and due to its 'unfriendly' and chemical-sounding name, it is unlikely to be viewed by consumers as a
natural, 'clean' ingredient.
However, a higher percentage of US consumers agree that price and flavour are purchase factors for nonchocolate confectionery, than attributes linked to the clean label trend (such as no artificial colours).
US: non-chocolate-confectionery purchase factors, 2020
Low price
44
New flavor
30
Sugar amount
24
All-natural ingredients
22
No artificial flavors
18
No artificial colors
18
Sweetener source
14
Organic
Promises health benefits (eg
antioxidants)
Vegan
10
8
5
None of the above
11
0
10
20
30
40
50
% of consumers who agree
Base: US: 1,551 internet users aged 18+ who’ve purchased non-chocolate candy in the last three months
Source: Kantar Profiles/Mintel, March 2020
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Claims linked to added or artificial colours are relatively
uncommon in launches, in theory suggesting potential for
growth
In theory, removing titanium dioxide from products results in a product with a cleaner label, which is
appealing to brands and end users.
However, the majority of sugar and gum confectionery launches that contain titanium dioxide also contain
another artificial food colour, thus limiting the potential for claims linked to a clean label, such as 'only
natural colours' or 'no added colours'.
Titanium dioxide-free claims are uncommon in launches, featuring in a very small number of supplement
launches, and could potentially grow if consumer concern over titanium dioxide use increases in regions
where it is still permitted.
Global: % of sugar and gum confectionery launches that feature a no added/artificial colour
claim, 2017-22
Apr 2017-Mar 2018
Apr 2018-Mar 2019
Apr 2019-Mar 2020
Apr 2020-Mar 2021
Apr 2021-Mar 2022
20
% of launches
15
14
13
15
14
10
16
9
8 8
9
10
10
9
10
8
9
9 9
11
10 10
5
3 3
2
3
2
0
Europe
North America
Middle East and
Africa
APAC
Latin America
Source: Mintel GNPD (Europe, North America, MEA, APAC, Latin America), April 2017-March 2022
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Titanium dioxide is often used in combination with artificial
colours, thereby challenging potential for claims linked to the
clean label trend
Example: 76% of North American sugar and gum confectionery launches in the five years ending March
2022 that contain titanium dioxide, also contain allura red.
Global: % of sugar and gum confectionery launches that contain titanium dioxide as an
ingredient that also contain selected food colours, 2017-22
All artificial colour ingredients
Sunset Yellow FCF
Brilliant Blue FCF
90
86
% of launches
7576
70
51
48
33
25
76
67
64
61
50
51 52
48
40
34
29
2426
Tartrazine
Indigotine
100
75
Allura Red AC
37
34
16
9
6 55 8
6
6
0
Middle East &
Africa
Latin America
North America
Europe
Asia Pacific
Source: Mintel GNPD, April 2017-March 2022
Meet the expert
Emma Schofield
Associate Director - Global Food Science
Emma has over ten years of experience in the food industry as a Food
Technologist and NPD Manager in the retail and manufacturing sectors.
At Mintel, Emma provides strategic insight and analysis for ingredients
and additives, general nutrition, health and wellness, labelling and
regulatory developments that impact NPD, and food tech innovations.
Read more by this expert | Get in touch
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Disclaimer
This is marketing intelligence published by Mintel.
The consumer research exclusively commissioned
by Mintel was conducted by a Chinese licensed
market survey agent (see Research Methodology
China for more information).
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