Egyptian sugarcane juice under scrutiny for illicit titanium dioxide additive

This practice was revealed during a routine licensing inspection in Toukh, Qalyubia, leading to the confiscation of contaminated samples by the Consumer Protection Agency. Vendors reportedly add TiO₂ to brighten the juice, which naturally darkens quickly due to oxidation, making it appear fresher. Islam El-Gazzar stated that TiO₂ is considered "very dangerous" and is banned in food manufacturing factories, with investigations showing vendors are unaware of its dangers and use it in excessive quantities, posing risks to kidney and liver functions.

While Egypt does not have a blanket ban on TiO₂ in all food products, and it is used in some local sweets, the former head of the Food Safety Committee at the Veterinary Syndicate, Shereen Ali Zaki, warned that the substance accumulates in the human body and has been linked to genotoxicity in recent international studies. The Egyptian Drug Authority banned TiO₂ in nanoparticle form in May 2025 for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, but not entirely. The European Food Safety Authority banned TiO₂ as a food additive in 2021 due to genotoxicity concerns, while the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives JECFA in 2023 stated it is safe for consumption, citing no convincing evidence of DNA damage.