The company that produces Skittles has stopped adding titanium dioxide, a color additive, to the popular candy. This additive was previously banned in the European Union in 2022 due to possible health risks. 

Mars, the candy’s parent company, said it stopped using the ingredient in products sold in the United States at the end of 2024.

Recommended Stories

• HHS issues new guidelines urging healthcare providers to end 'harmful' gender reassignment therapies on children
• Cassidy argues allowing drug companies to profit helps medical industry discover new cures
• RFK Jr. may block government scientists from publishing in 'corrupt' medical journals

Criticism has grown over the presence of titanium dioxide, especially with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s position on food colorings.

Mars released a statement in 2016 as consumer preferences shifted to cleaner alternatives, saying it would stop using “all artificial colors” in foods.

The titanium dioxide additive is known to make food shinier and brighter. Mars did not comment whether consumers would notice a difference in Skittles’ look without the ingredient.

Mars and similar firms have previously disputed claims of health risks associated with consuming titanium dioxide, a white pigment primarily used in bakery products, sweets, cosmetics, and paints. 

This additive is legal in many countries, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, and New Zealand. 

Two years ago, California attempted to ban the ingredient, but lost.

In the White House’s “Make America Healthy Again” report in May, titanium dioxide and other food additives were highlighted as a major concern for the administration.

Mars, which also produces M&Ms and Snickers, did not explain why it removed the additive, according to Bloomberg. 

“Our commitment to quality is what has enabled Mars to be enjoyed by consumers for over a century, and nothing is more important than the safety of our products,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“All our products are safe to enjoy and meet the high standards and applicable regulations set by food safety authorities around the world, and that’s something we will never compromise on.”

Melanie Benesh, the vice president of governmental affairs for the Washington-based activist group, the Environmental Working Group, has focused on chemicals that previously raised concerns about titanium dioxide in food products. 

Benesh credits state-level efforts, rather than federal, with helping pressure major companies such as Mars to change their recipes. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The EWG is still awaiting a response to a petition filed in 2023, asking regulators at the Food and Drug Administration to ban titanium dioxide, according to Benesh. 

“The FDA has said a lot of things about food additives but we have not seen them take any enforceable actions yet,” Benesh said. “What has unquestionably made a difference is all of the action at the state level.”