Under Scrutiny, Dunkin' Donuts Changes Powdered Sugar Recipe

(RTTNews) - Dunkin' Donuts on Thursday agreed to remove a whitening agent called titanium dioxide, commonly a source of nanomaterials, from all powdered sugar used to make its donuts.

The move follows pressure from advocacy group As You Sow, which put a shareholder proposal asking Dunkin' to assess and reduce the risks of using nanomaterials in its food products.

As You Sow said it has now withdrawn the shareholder proposal.

Nanomaterials, while offering new food industry applications, have extremely small dimensions and may result in greater toxicity for human health, As You Sow says.

In 2013, As You Sow commissioned tests of Dunkin's white powdered donuts, finding they contained titanium dioxide nanomaterials.

While existing safety information about nanomaterials is insufficient, preliminary studies show that the tiny particles can cause DNA and chromosomal damage, organ damage, inflammation, brain damage, and genital malformations, among other harms.

Dunkin differs with As You Sow's characterization of Titanium dioxide as a nanoparticle.

"The ingredient used in our powdered donuts does not meet the definition of 'nanoparticle' as outlined under FDA guidance," CNBC reported, quoting Dunkin' Brands spokeswoman Karen Raskopf.

"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,"Raskopf said.

Titanium dioxide is a common ingredient in items in the U.S. and is permitted in certain quantities as a food coloring in the U.S. by the FDA.

The FDA does not categorically judge all products containing nanomaterials or otherwise involving the application of nanotechnology as intrinsically benign or harmful.

The move by Dunkin' follows an approach by large restaurant chains such as McDonald's to protect consumers' health and abandon possibly harmful ingredients.