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Whitening and opacity technologies for food and beverages
  • Background
  • What we're looking for
  • What we can offer you
  • Q&A
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Background

We are a global developer of specialty ingredients and formulation technologies serving the food and beverage industry. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) has long been valued in the food and beverage industry for its ability to enhance whiteness, brightness, and opacity in products ranging from beverages and confectionery to dairy applications. However, recent regulatory reviews have significantly changed its outlook. The European Union’s ban on the use of TiO₂ as a food additive, coupled with growing scrutiny and restrictions in the United States, has intensified concerns about its safety and long-term feasibility. 

 

These developments have created a pressing need for effective, safe and food-compliant alternatives that can deliver comparable visual performance and stability. Although manufacturers and ingredient developers have explored a variety of replacement strategies, including starch-based systems, mineral ingredients, and other opacity-enhancing technologies, existing solutions often fall short of delivering TiO₂-equivalent performance. Furthermore, significant unmet needs remain for new whitening systems that not only meet regulatory standards but also align with evolving consumer expectations for clean-label products and natural ingredients. The search for next-generation whitening and opacity systems has therefore become a key focus across the global food and beverage landscapes.

What we're looking for

We are seeking effective and safe alternatives replacing titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in food and beverage applications without compromising product quality or functionality. The ideal solution should maintain appearance and stability, avoid impacting pH or texture, and not fall within regulatory definitions of nanomaterials for food applications to support compliance across relevant markets.

Solutions of interest include:
  • Mineral whiteners excluding calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and phosphates
  • Organic-based solutions excluding conventional starch systems
Our must-have requirements are:
  • Credible technical rationale or data supporting whitening performance, ideally for both coating and mass whitening
  • Expected to be effective at practical use levels (acceptable max dosage 2-X more than pure TIO₂)
  • Suitable for vegan, kosher, and halal product development
  • Not expected to significantly affect taste and mouthfeel of food/beverage at proposed use levels
  • Food-grade or credible pathway to food use
Our nice-to-have's are:
  • Ability to achieve TiO₂-equivalent whitening performance at comparable use levels
What's out of scope:
  • Conventional starch-based systems or existing minerals (e.g., CaCO₃)
  • Nanoscale minerals (<100 nm in any dimension)
  • Other metal oxides subject to similar regulatory scrutiny as zinc oxide
  • Any whitening agents derived from petrochemicals, synthetic resins, or non-natural polymeric materials (e.g., polyethylene-based materials, polystyrene microspheres)
Acceptable technology readiness levels (TRL):
Levels 3-9
What we can offer you
Eligible partnership models:
LicensingSupply/purchaseCo-developmentPilot or trial engagementSponsored research
Benefits:
Compensation
Funding is available to support feasibility studies, method development, application testing, or validation work related to promising TiO₂ replacement technologies, with a typical range of up to €50,000 for a PoC, and €100,000-200,000 for a 2-3 year collaboration, depending on project scope. Follow-on support may be considered based on technical results, strategic fit, and agreed next steps.
Expertise
Selected partners may engage with internal experts in food ingredient functionality, chemistry, physical chemistry, physics, optics, material science, sensory science, application development, and regulatory strategy.
Tools and Technologies
Partners may gain access to relevant analytical, formulation, and application testing capabilities to support evaluation of proposed whitening and opacity technologies.
Compounds and Reagents
Where appropriate, partners may receive representative food ingredients, application matrices, reference materials, or benchmark samples to support feasibility studies and comparative evaluation of proposed whitening technologies.
Facilities and Services
Selected partners may have access to internal facilities or services for application testing, analytical characterization, stability assessment, or formulation support. Access may be provided through sample submission and coordinated testing by internal teams, depending on project needs, scheduling, and facility availability.
Market Access
Successful solutions may have the opportunity to be further evaluated. Depending on performance, regulatory fit, and strategic alignment, this could lead to development collaborations, supply relationships, licensing discussions, or access to broader commercial channels.
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