roger
18 August 2022
Chris
c/- requests.fyi.org.nz
Dear Chris
My apologies but the correspondence I received does not have your surname, affiliation, or address.
Nevertheless, thank you for your enquiry made via the FYI website to the Ministry of Health on
Wednesday 27 July 2022 regarding skittles and titanium dioxide.
Your first question “
Is the ministry of health keeping an eye on the skittles lawsuit about Titanium
Dioxide.” wil no doubt have been answered by the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health has transferred your question “
Skittles recently banned in Europe. Wil New
Zealand follow too??” to New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) to answer we are the regulators of the
food system alongside Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). FSANZ is responsible for
developing standards in relation to food additives, and these are described in the Australia New
Zealand Food Standards Code (FSC). NZFS then implements and enforces these standards.
While titanium dioxide is a colouring (171) permitted under the FSC to be used in foods, and a
maximum limit is not specified, FSANZ is reviewing the safety of titanium dioxide as a food additive
following the release of the updated safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority. Mid
last year, FSANZ put out a call for data regarding the particle size of titanium dioxide used in food as
well as relevant information on its safety as a food additive. They will use this in a comprehensive
assessment from which they will release a report when completed. Any potential changes to the FSC
and in New Zealand would follow this assessment by FSANZ.
Further information about the FSANZ review can be found in the link below, and on standards
relating to additives
(Standard 1.1.2 -11), and
Schedule 16 which lists permitted food additives in
New Zealand.
https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/foodtech/Pages/Review-of-titanium-dioxide-as-a-
food-additive.aspx
Regards
Dr Roger Cook
Acting Director, Food Science and Risk Assessment
New Zealand Food Safety
Pastoral House, 25 The Terrace
Wellington 6140, New Zealand
foodsafety.govt.nz
