Skittles no longer contains titanium dioxide, a chemical identified as potentially problematic by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s commission in a recent report, the candy’s manufacturer said on May 27.
“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 for Mars Inc. told news outlets this week. “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.”
The company did not respond to requests for more information, including when the chemical was removed.
In the May 22 report from the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which Kennedy chairs, the commission said that titanium dioxide was an additive “of potential concern” and that it “may cause cellular and DNA damage.”
The commission cited a review that concluded that possible adverse outcomes of titanium dioxide exposure included cancer and damage to the heart, and an assessment that said titanium dioxide may cause immune issues, inflammation, and neurological problems.
“Based on all the evidence available, a concern for genotoxicity could not be ruled out, and given the many uncertainties, the Panel concluded that E 171 can no longer be considered as safe when used as a food additive,” the assessment from the Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings, commissioned by the European Commission and published in 2021, stated.
Kennedy hailed the move from Mars.
“You don’t need titanium dioxide to make rainbows,” he wrote on social media platform X. “Mars has announced the removal of titanium dioxide from Skittles. I’ve long been critical of the use of harmful additives in our food, especially when companies are fully capable of producing safer versions for European markets. When corporations take steps that help make our children—and America—healthy again, it’s a move in the right direction.”
The Environmental Defense Fund and other groups asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a division in Kennedy’s department, in 2023 to ban titanium dioxide from food products. The FDA says on its website that it is still reviewing the petition.
Skittles still contains artificial colorings, including Yellow No. 5 and Red No. 40.
The FDA said in April it was banning two other artificial colorings used in foods and beverages, in addition to a third that was previously prohibited. Officials also said companies would voluntarily remove the other six dyes that have regulatory approval, including Yellow 5.
Following the announcement, PepsiCo executives said the company was quickening its transition away from artificial colors. In-N-Out said it was removing dyes from its strawberry milkshakes, pink lemonade, pickles, chilis, and house spread.
