The magazine 60 Millions de consommateurs has just carried out a vast survey on the composition of toothpastes, and what emerges is worrying.
As our colleagues from BFMTV report this Thursday, of the 12 toothpastes most used by the French, almost half contain titanium dioxide.
A substance prohibited in food, because suspected of being carcinogenic.
Indeed, a note from ANSES, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, specifies that this substance "should be classified as a suspected carcinogen for humans, category 2 by inhalation ".
And as a result, manufacturers who use products containing them must inform the workers who handle them of the risks involved.
Mistrust with the promises of dazzling whiteness
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that titanium dioxide has been detected in consumer products.
In 2019, the association Agir pour l'environnement had already denounced the fact that two-thirds of toothpastes contained it.
Manufacturers would use it because it would whiten and opacify toothpastes, giving them a more marketable appearance.
To limit the risks, 60 Million consumers reminds us of the need to carefully check the ingredients of toothpastes and to be wary of products promising perfectly white teeth.
These would rather tend to damage the enamel.
On the other hand, it is recommended to favor toothpastes containing fluoride.
"This is the most important element, it helps remineralize the teeth", and thus strengthen them and prevent cavities, explained a dentist to BFMTV.
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