Dunkin’ Donuts is removing a food-coloring ingredient from its powdered sugar goods, the brand announced Thursday.
The component titanium dioxide is used to brighten white substances. While certain quantities of the ingredient are permitted by regulators and commonly used in items in the U.S., according to CNBC, the use has come under fire from critics of using such substances in food.
As You Sow, a San Francisco-based advocacy group, conducted a food study in 2013 that examined the use of nanomaterial, matter broken down by technology into molecule-size particles. After finding that Dunkin’ Donuts and Hostess Donettes tested positive for the presence of the titanium dioxide materials of less than 10 nanometers, the advocacy group brought a proposal to Dunkin’ Donuts’ shareholders urging them to eliminate nanoparticles from their goods.
Karen Raskopf, chief communications officer of Dunkin’ Donuts, confirmed that the company plans to phase out the ingredient, but disagreed with the characterization that it is a nanoparticle.
“The ingredient used in our powdered donuts does not meet the definition of “nanoparticle” as outlined under FDA guidance,” she said, “Nevertheless, we began testing alternative formulations for this product in 2014 and we are in the process of rolling out a solution to the system that does not contain titanium dioxide.”
Both the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency classify titanium dioxide as a nanomaterial. Although the FDA has approved the use of it, the agency has said it will continue to monitor the safety of nanotechnology as the science emerges. The EPA is likewise investigating the ingredient, which it says can also be found in sunscreens, cosmetics, and paints and coatings.
