Particles of titanium dioxidepotential carcinogenic in humans, yet forbidden In food, maternal milk and milk sold in trade were found in breast milk, reveal work by scientists from INRAE, AP-HP and CNRS published on Wednesday July 23, 2025.
“Massively used in a multitude of everyday products” (toothpaste, sunscreen, drugs, plastics, makeup, paper, paintings …) and used as a white and opacifying color in the diet (E171), titanium dioxide was prohibited by precautionary measure in France in 2020 then in the European Union in 2022, recall researchers.
Their work, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, however show that this compound has been detected “In human, animal and infantile milks, especially in the form of nanoparticles”.
Titanium dioxide particles have been found in “The maternal milks of ten women volunteers living in Paris or in the near suburbs, at variable rates, certain women with up to 15 times more particles than others”which proves that this substance “can pass the barrier from the mammary gland”.
“100% of animal milks (fresh or powder, from cows, donkeys or goats)”both from organic and conventional agriculture, and 83% of infantile milks (from trade, from 1st to 3rd age, organic or not) analyzed contained.
In detail, 6 million to 3.9 billion titanium particles were detected per liter of infant milkand 16 to 348 million per liter in Animal milks.
“This inventory of the current contamination of milks reflects the level of exposure of newborns and mothers, but also adult milk consumers”specify researchers. And this, despite the prohibition of E171 in food, suggesting “The existence of other contamination” that eating, they emphasize.
Titanium dioxide has been Classified carcinogen Potential in humans by inhalation since 2006, recall the scientists of INRAE (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment), AP-HP (Public Assistance-Hospitals of Paris), Synchrotron Soleil and CNRS, the National Center for Scientific Research.
The authors of this study wanted to better assess “The impact of this massive release of titanium dioxide on living things” et “The actual exposure of animals and humans”.
It had already been shown that the nanoparticles present in the Additive E171 crossed the placenta.
This work will be able to serve as a basis for future toxicity studies.
