Mars moves to remove titanium dioxide additives from US Skittles
Mars has confirmed that it is removing colour additive titanium dioxide from its flagship Skittles line in the US, in the wake of health concerns and an industry petition from the Centre for Food Safety (CFS), reports Neill Barston.
The controversial chemical has been banned in Europe since 2022, but has continued to be used within the North American region in a number of hard candy lines, and has recently seen Robert F Kennedy call for its removal as part of the recently created “Make America Health Again (MAHA)” movement on the grounds that of its alleged potential health impact – with the company maintaining its products remain safe to consume.
Indeed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reportedly considered the additive to be generally safe, with its use as a whitener in gum, pastries and cake decorations, with Mars using it to give M&Ms its trademark shiny appearance. The company has not yet confirmed whether titanium dioxide will be removed from other territories in which Skittles are sold.
According to the Centre for Food Safety, the use of such chemicals could potentially be carcinogenic due to the nanotechnology used within their development, though its claims are disputed by the company.
Notably, according to the San Francisco-based CFS, within the US, there has previously been no requirement for companies to declare the use of nanotechnology in food supply chains, with the organisation stating that it had met with Mars in 2016 on the issue, asserting that the company had pledged to remove the chemical from its portfolio by 2021.
“As the nation’s leading public interest law firm focused on food and agriculture, we filed a legal petition with the FDA demanding a ban on titanium dioxide in food. We have long led the fight to close regulatory loopholes around nanotechnology and to ensure that emerging food technologies are subject to proper safety review and public accountability. Mars’s decision this week to finally reformulate Skittles is a long-overdue step in the right direction—but it’s not enough. This is just one product. Mars must commit to removing titanium dioxide from all of its food products, not just those that face consumer backlash or overseas regulation,” said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at CFS.
In response, Mars issued a statement on its plans to remove titanium dioxide from its ranges, with Skittles being originally created in the UK, before the flagship line moved production to the US in the early 1980s. It has remained a staple of the company’s confectionery offerings, and retains a strong global fanbase.
The company said: “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. All our products are safe to enjoy and meet the high standards and applicable regulations set by authorities around the world, and that’s something we will never compromise on.”
