Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Researchers in France have found that the common food additive E171 can cause precancerous lesions in laboratory rats.
E171 is a whitening agent commonly found in toothpaste and chewing gum. The additive is widely used in the United States and Europe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1966 approved E171 at levels up to 1 percent of a food product's weight, but there are no daily intake regulations in Europe, so the findings have France calling for an inquiry into its safety.