Summary of plant‑based titanium dioxide alternative
- Titanium dioxide faces global scrutiny due to DNA damage concerns
- Food makers seek safer whiteners as bans create urgent innovation pressure
- Seprify develops cellulose‑based SilvaAlba delivering bright whitening efficiently
- Beetle inspired microstructure enables effective light scattering using plant materials
- €13.4m funding helps scale SilvaAlba to industrial procurement ready supply
Titanium dioxide is a contender for the most controversial of all food additives. Banned in some regions, but not others, concerns persist that the whitening agent – used in popular confectionery, bakery and dairy products – risks damaging DNA.
These safety concerns prompted the EU to ban titanium dioxide (E171) as a food additive in 2022. Several US states, including California and Illinois, have considered similar restrictions, while some food giants have taken voluntary action: Mars, for instance, has removed the ingredient from its US Skittles portfolio.
With constraint driving creativity, finding alternatives to the contentious ingredient has become a primary focus for food manufacturers. Available options include calcium carbonate and rice starch, but some come with quality and cost trade-offs.
A new ingredient, however, promises to deliver whitening at a lower replacement ratio – and it’s scaling from pilot validation stage to industrial, procurement-ready supply.
Titanium dioxide alternative scatters light with plants
The invention comes out of Seprify (formerly Impossible Materials), a Cambridge University spin-out now headquartered in Switzerland. Its core innovation lies in the material’s light-scattering properties, inspired by a Southeast Asian beetle known for its strikingly bright, naturally white exterior. Achieving a white material requires creating a rough, porous structure that allows light to bounce and scatter within it – and that’s exactly what Seprify has replicated using plant-based ingredients.
The start-up’s titanium dioxide alternative – coined SilvaAlba – is made from cellulose sourced from renewable wood pulp. These same cellulose feedstocks are already used in food applications, meaning Seprify doesn’t require novel foods approval.
And that doesn’t just make for a regulatory win; there are sustainability and practical advantages too. “Using cellulose as the base material allows Seprify to engineer a plant-based whitening ingredient while relying on a renewable raw material with proven industrial availability,” says co-founder and CEO Lukas Schertel.
Cellulose itself is typically off-white to white, but on its own does not deliver the level of whitening required by food manufacturers. That’s where Seprify’s technology comes in, engineering cellulose into structures that scatter light effectively. That allows the start-up to deliver a “bright white” appearance without relying on mineral pigments like titanium dioxide.
Differentiating from other titanium dioxide alternatives
Since the EU prohibited titanium dioxide’s use in food and drink, industry has been exploring a range of alternative whiteners. Seprify’s challenge is now to outperform those already at scale, already on the market, and already being used by industry.
So what’s wrong with today’s offerings? Starch-based systems, calcium carbonate, and rice starch additives do deliver some form of whitening, explains CEO Schertel. But, they can be technically challenging to implement. And even when they are functional, they’re often pricey - resulting in an uneconomical cost-in-use.
“Common trade-offs include high replacement ratios, limited pH and temperature stability, off-white appearances, and altered sensorial properties such as taste or mouthfeel.”
This is an issue for manufacturers if titanium dioxide is off the table, or if they’re preparing for tighter food safety regulations to come in. In markets outside of Europe, the regulatory shift is still very much underway, believes Schertel. But, it’s slowed down by the lack of viable alternatives.
The benefit of SilvaAlba, he contends, is that it delivers whitening at a low replacement ratio in a wide range of applications. And not just the usual suspects of bakery, confectionery, beverages, plant-based dairy and coffee creamers. But also in less likely categories, like meat. “The crystalline nature of the cellulose gives it a strong performance in regard to stability, and delivers a neutral-tasting, natural alternative.”
Industry ready: Seprify scales up with €13m investment
Seprify’s titanium dioxide alternative is no longer in lab development phase. Today, the start-up is celebrating the move from pilot validation and industry trials to industrial, procurement readiness – allowing for longer-term supply agreements with partners.
The transition is much helped by a Series A investment round totalling €13.4m, with input from IKEA-owner Inter IKEA Group, a business interested in Seprify’s white coating materials in recycling systems. Other investors include Una Terra Early Growth Fund, Zürcher Kantonalbank, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, and Kickfund.
