Toxic substance in Skittles, Mars taken to court
Those brightly colored Skittles contain a toxic coloring agent. In Europe, that coloring agent will be banned from August onward, but not yet in America. That’s why a Skittles lover is taking candy manufacturer Mars to court.
Skittles contain a coloring agent, titanium dioxide, which will no longer be permitted in Europe from August 7 because it is toxic. The coloring agent, known as E171 on the label, is not safe because it could potentially cause genotoxicity problems. In other words, effects on your genetic material: your DNA. And that could then cause cancer. That is why, in 2021, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) proposed to the European Commission that this substance should no longer be allowed in food.
Not just in Skittles
The substance is found not only in Skittles, but also in cake decorations, chewing gum, liquorice and chocolate with a colored coating. Banned in Europe from August 7, but not in America. That is why Jenile Thames has gone to court. Mars knows that the coloring agent is unhealthy and promised back in 2016 that it would start using less of it. Result: zero. And Thames won’t stand for that. He is demanding compensation for himself and all the other candy lovers who, without knowing it, have been exposed to a health risk.
Off the shelves
To reassure you: Skittles sold in supermarkets in the Netherlands no longer contain E171. Other products containing E171 are also disappearing from the shelves. That doesn’t help Thames, but he is continuing the fight. When asked, Mars told The Guardian that it would not comment on ongoing lawsuits.
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Source: RTL, The Guardian
