A lawsuit filed Thursday in northern California federal court alleges that Skittles candies, which boast the slogan “taste the rainbow” on account of their many colors, contain a “known toxin” called titanium dioxide, rendering them “unfit for human consumption”.
The civil suit contends that Mars has long known about alleged risks associated with this chemical and, in February 2016, publicly vowed that it would phase out titanium dioxide.
After France banned titanium dioxide in 2019, Mars said that it would comply with this regulation, court papers state.
“Incredibly, Defendant even claimed that ‘[a]rtificial colors pose no known risks to human health or safety’,” Thames’ suit also said.
In 2021, the authority announced that “titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive”.
“After oral ingestion, the absorption of titanium dioxide particles is low, however they can accumulate in the body.”.
A Mars spokesperson said in an email that the company does not comment on pending litigation. »