Lawsuit Claims "Heightened Levels" Of Titanium Dioxide Present In Skittles
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According to San Leandro, California resident Jenile Thames, they've been tasting a lot more than just the rainbow in their pack of Skittles. USA Today reports that Thames is suing the Mars Corporation, the makers of the popular fruity snack, over claims that Skittles contain unsafe levels of titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is a substance that's used in paints, plastics, adhesives, cosmetics, paper, and food contact materials and ingredients.
Lawyers for Thames have stated that Skittles are unsafe for consumption due to "heightened levels" of titanium dioxide, which is used to produce the rainbow-like hue of Skittles.
"Based on Defendant’s omissions, a reasonable consumer would expect that the Product can be safely purchased and consumed as marketed and sold," the complaint reads. "However, the Products are not safe and pose a significant health risk to unsuspecting consumers. Yet, neither before nor at the time of purchase does Defendant notify consumers like (Thames) that the Products are unsafe to consumers, contain heightened levels of titanium dioxide, and should otherwise be approached with caution."
In 2021, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) halted the use of titanium dioxide when it announced that the substance "can no longer be considered safe as a food additive." And years before the EFSA made that announcement, Mars shared its plans to gradually remove titanium dioxide from its products. Although Mars' plans were revealed in 2016, the company has yet to remove titanium dioxide from Skittles and other products.
In response to the lawsuit, the Mars Corporation did release a statement letting it be known that its use of titanium dioxide does fall under regulations for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“While we do not comment on pending litigation, our use of titanium dioxide complies with FDA regulations,” read a statement provided to USA Today by the Mars Corporation.
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