Famed Skittles Candy Under Fire For Using Toxic Chemicals
(MAGANews.Org) – Famed Skittles candy and Mars, Inc. are being sued by a California man claiming Skittles contains a dangerous toxin “unfit for human consumption.”
Last week, Jenile Thames of San Leandro, California, filed a class-action lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California against the popular candy, saying it contained very high levels of titanium dioxide.
What Is Titanium Dioxide?
According to WebMD, titanium dioxide is a natural metal element used as a white pigment in various processed foods like coffee creamers, salad dressings, milk, chewing gum, and candy and sweets.
It is also considered the whitest and brightest of all known pigments and is referred to as titanium white, coloring white 6, or CI 77891.
It’s also what makes product pigmentations such as sunscreens, cosmetics, paints, and some plastics look the way they do.
According to reports, Mars Inc. publicly announced in 2016 that it would remove titanium dioxide from its products. But the lawsuit filed last week states it’s not only still using the chemical but using more than what’s safe for humans.
Mars, Inc. released a statement saying, “While we do not comment on pending litigation, our use of titanium dioxide complies with FDA regulations.”
Skittles is facing a lawsuit over its alleged use of a toxic chemical. https://t.co/tNrXFDsPoe
— Complex (@Complex) July 15, 2022
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations states that although titanium dioxide can be used for food coloring, it may not exceed 1 percent of the food’s weight.
As of May 2021, the European Food Safety Authority banned the use of titanium dioxide in foods saying it was no longer safe.
They stated the change was due to concerns about genotoxicity and how it could potentially damage genetic information like a human’s Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA).
The lawsuit also claims that Mars, Inc. doesn’t warn people of the health risks of titanium dioxide, making consumers feel the product is safe to consume.
Thames lawsuit also claims Mars Inc. violated multiple California consumer protection laws, committed consumer fraud, and seeks damages for both.
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