After Years of Scrutiny, Mars Drops Skittles Color Additive

Skittles consumers in the US may notice a subtle change in the candy: Mars has removed a color additive linked to health concerns abroad. Titanium dioxide was banned in the European Union in 2022 but remains permitted in the US. The company has contested the health risk claims. But Mars said it nevertheless stopped using the ingredient in US production before the end of last year, the BBC reports, in response to criticism and ongoing public health debates.

The additive, which makes foods look shinier and more colorful, is also allowed in the UK, Canada, and New Zealand. Some US states are considering outlawing its use; a measure in California failed in 2023. The Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization, contends that state-level action—rather than federal regulation—has pushed companies to remove such additives from their recipes. The Food and Drug Administration has not taken enforceable action on the issue, despite criticism: Titanium dioxide was among the food additives called out in the White House's "Make America Healthy Again" report as a health concern. Mars did not say whether the appearance of Skittles will be changed. A 2022 class-action lawsuit over using titanium dioxide in Skittles was dismissed. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)