INS 171 is titanium dioxide, an inorganic mineral colour that gives a clean, opaque white. On Indian packs it shows up in sugar-coated candy shells (like Cadbury Gems and Skittles-style sweets), white frostings, chewing gum, and some white tablet coatings. The same compound is also widely used in sunscreens, paints, and cosmetics. It is generally vegan and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories.
INS 171 is titanium dioxide, an inorganic mineral colour that gives a clean, opaque white. On Indian packs it shows up in sugar-coated candy shells (like Cadbury Gems and Skittles-style sweets), white frostings, chewing gum, and some white tablet coatings. The same compound is also widely used in sunscreens, paints, and cosmetics.
Brands use it because it is the only food-grade pigment that gives a true bright white that scatters light evenly. No plant or natural mineral matches its opacity at the same dose, which is why coated candies, white frostings, and white-shell pills rely on it for their look.
INS 171 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
Titanium dioxide is a naturally occurring inorganic mineral (rutile, anatase, brookite forms) refined to food-grade specifications. No plant or animal source is used; no animal product is involved in manufacture.
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 as a colour at Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) levels for specified food categories. Regulatory status diverges internationally: the European Food Safety Authority concluded in 2021 that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive due to genotoxicity concerns, and the EU prohibited its use in food from 7 February 2022. JECFA reaffirmed safety at the 97th meeting (31 October to 9 November 2023), and FSSAI continues to permit it in India.
JECFA: ADI 'not specified' historically (10th JECFA, 1969). At the 97th JECFA meeting (31 October to 9 November 2023, risk assessment released 24 November 2023), JECFA concluded that the available data do not raise concerns at currently estimated dietary exposures and reaffirmed the 'not specified' classification. EFSA's 2021 re-evaluation reached a different conclusion (potential genotoxicity at the nanoparticle scale; no safe level established), which led to the EU prohibition from 7 February 2022. The two assessments differ on weighting of nanoparticle data; FSSAI follows the JECFA position.
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 171 is also called:
Last verified: 2026-04-30.