Skittles in the US are no longer being made with titanium dioxide, a colour additive that was banned in the European Union in 2022 over possible health risks.
Sweets giant Mars said it had stopped using the ingredient in its US Skittles portfolio at the end of last year.
The White House’s Make America Healthy Again report published earlier this month also spotlighted titanium dioxide and other food additives as a key concern.
Melanie Benesh is vice president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington-based activist organisation focused on chemicals that has raised concerns about titanium dioxide.
In 2022, the company faced a class-action lawsuit over titanium dioxide in Skittles, which was dismissed.
Due to potential health hazards, titanium dioxide, a colorant that was outlawed in the EU in 2022, is no longer used in the production of Skittles in the US.
At the end of the previous year, the candy giant Mars announced that it had discontinued using the ingredient in its US Skittles line.
The action comes after years of criticism regarding the candy’s titanium dioxide content, and it coincides with worries about processed foods becoming more prominent in public health discussions due to US President Donald Trump’s appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
In 2016, Mars announced that it would no longer use “all artificial colours” in its food, citing changing consumer tastes.
The company did not address whether the removal of the ingredient, which can be used to give food a glossy or more vibrant appearance, would affect consumers in any way.
Titanium dioxide is a white pigment used in paint, baked goods, confections, and cosmetics. Mars and other companies have denied claims that consuming titanium dioxide poses health risks.
Many nations, including the US, UK, Canada, and New Zealand, permit it.
A well-publicized attempt to outlaw the ingredient in California in 2023 was unsuccessful, but initiatives in other states are still gaining traction.
Earlier this month, the White House’s Make America Healthy Again report highlighted titanium dioxide and other food additives as a major concern.
Bloomberg first reported the decision, but Mars, which also produces MandMs, Snickers, and Kind snack bars, did not provide an explanation.
When questioned about whether the change would affect Skittles sold outside of the US, the company remained silent.
In a statement, a spokesperson said, “Our dedication to quality is what has allowed Mars to be enjoyed by consumers for more than a century, and nothing is more important than the safety of our products.”.
“We never compromise on the safety of our products, which are all safe to consume and adhere to the strict guidelines and standards established by global food safety authorities. “..”.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a chemical-focused activist group with headquarters in Washington, has expressed concerns about titanium dioxide. Melanie Benesh is the group’s vice president of government affairs.
She said that state-level initiatives, not federal action, were responsible for forcing businesses like Mars to alter their formulas.
She noted that the EWG had not yet received a response to its 2023 petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a ban on titanium dioxide.
She claimed that although the FDA has made numerous statements regarding food additives, no legally binding action has yet been taken. “All of the state-level action has definitely made a difference.”. “.
Developed in the United Kingdom, Skittles are one of the most well-known chewy candies in the world.
Since 1981, they have been manufactured in the US. In 2009, the brand was acquired by Mars’ Wrigley division.
The business was the target of a class-action lawsuit in 2022 regarding titanium dioxide in Skittles, but it was dropped.
