Titanium dioxide is lurking in these Halloween candies | Center for Science in the Public Interest

By Zachary Goldstein, MS

Updated: October 9, 2024

Teri Virbickis - stock.adobe.com.

We're not opposed to having a treat on Halloween—but the food color additive titanium dioxide can potentially cause DNA damage, is in hundreds of Halloween candies, and should be avoided whenever possible. Here's what to look out for.

Real talk: Everyone is aware that candy is not the healthiest choice. We’re not saying no one should ever have a treat; some candies—like peanut butter cups—have a bit of protein, and a little something sweet can be a bright spot on a chilly autumn evening. Spooky season is a fun one! But if you’re avoiding ingredients that are deemed dangerous enough to be banned in the European Union, then titanium dioxide should be toward the top of your list.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a chemical that is currently approved for use in the US as a color additive in foods. The additive can be found on grocery store shelves in a wide range of food products. Titanium dioxide does not have a nutritional or preservative function, but instead is used solely for superficial purposes, like adding a white color and brightness to foods and beverages.

According to the NIQ Label Insight branded food product database, titanium dioxide is currently used in somewhere between 7,000 and 15,000 brand-name food products. However, titanium dioxide does not have to be listed by name on ingredient lists—instead, food companies can just call it “artificial color” or other similarly vague terms—making it more difficult to estimate the true number of products with the additive.

A safety evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that evidence suggests that when humans ingest food-grade titanium dioxide, small particles of titanium dioxide—or “nanoparticles”—can potentially accumulate in the human body over time and cause genetic damage. In turn, damage to DNA is one way that chemicals can cause cancer and other health problems. Accumulation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the body may also damage the immune and nervous systems. Based on these concerns, the European Union banned the use of titanium dioxide in foods in 2022.

Due to the possible negative health effects of ingesting titanium dioxide nanoparticles, CSPI’s Chemical Cuisine tool currently advises consumers to avoid food products containing this additive. However, some food labels do not directly list titanium dioxide as an ingredient and instead hide the ingredient behind terms like “color added” or “artificial color.” This makes it more difficult for consumers to determine whether titanium dioxide is in a particular product, increasing the need for government action to protect consumers from the additive.

Despite EFSA’s extensive review of the studies identifying dangers associated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles and the subsequent EU ban, the FDA still allows the use of titanium dioxide in foods in the US. CSPI and four other food safety and public health advocacy groups petitioned the FDA in March 2023 to revoke approval of titanium dioxide as an additive in food products. The FDA is required to address petitions within 180 days, but the agency has not yet responded.

Although fully addressing titanium dioxide’s dangers will require policy change, you can protect your health and your family in the interim by following CSPI’s recommendation to avoid foods containing titanium dioxide.

While CSPI and our partner organizations work to eliminate titanium dioxide from all foods, the best thing consumers can do is be aware and avoid the chemical when possible. To help you sort through your goodies this holiday season, we’ve rounded up a list of popular candy and snack items that might find their way into your home.

Some varieties of the corn-shaped Halloween candy made by Brach's, including Brach’s Fall Festival Candy Corn, contain titanium dioxide—along with the carcinogenic synthetic food dye Red 3. And other brands of candy corn, such as Nerds’ Rainbow Shelled Candy Corn, also contain these harmful chemicals.

Another sour candy to watch out for is Sour Patch Kids—the company’s Watermelon Soft & Chewy Candy lists titanium dioxide among its ingredients.

Titanium dioxide is also used as an additive in some chewing gum products that you might find while trick-or-treating—for example, Original Dubble Bubble Gum Balls contain this harmful chemical along with Red 3.

Trolli produces an assortment of unique shapes for its gummy candies, but the company also uses titanium dioxide for added coloring in many of these shapes. For example, the Sour Bursting Crawlers, Sour Brite Crawlers, Sour Brite Octopus, Sour Watermelon Sharks, and Strawberry Puffs all contain this unwanted additive.

A standard pack of Skittles Original Fruity Candy contains titanium dioxide. Although the candies are free of Red 3, they do contain other food dyes which could cause behavioral problems in some children. Mars, the parent company that produces Skittles, has even been sued for its use of titanium dioxide to make the candies. And in the EU, where titanium dioxide was banned in foods in 2022, Mars reworked the Skittles formula for products sold there to be titanium dioxide-free. Since Mars has already made a safer version for the EU, the company could do so in the US, too.

If you find some Ring Pops on the trick-or-treat trail, take note that the Berry Blast, Blue Raspberry Watermelon, and Citrus Craze flavors all contain titanium dioxide. And several Ring Pop flavors also contain the harmful food dye Red 3, including Berry Blast, Citrus Craze, Strawberry, Very Berry, and Purpleberry Punch.

If your trick-or-treater gets some multicolored sour candies, be wary of potential harmful additives in these, too. Multiple varieties of Warheads candies, including Warheads Sour Twists and the company’s Lil Worms candies, contain titanium dioxide.

It’s true that a lot of the candy your kiddo comes home with will be individually wrapped and labeled “Not for Resale.” That might mean there’s no ingredient list or nutritional info on the candy itself. However, if you’re concerned about additives, particularly those that can potentially cause DNA damage or cancer, it pays to track down the ingredient panels online. If you’re curious about which additives we recommend avoiding—and why—check out CSPI’s Food Additive Safety Ratings database.