Skittles Quietly Removed an Ingredient Tied to Cancer Risks — But You Might Still Eat It Elsewhere

Skittles has officially removed an ingredient from its U.S. candies that has been banned in Europe since 2022.

In late May, Mars, the candy giant that owns the Skittles brand, confirmed to Bloomberg that the version of its candy sold in the U.S. no longer contains the color additive titanium dioxide. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explained that this is a “synthetically produced white pigment, manufactured from naturally occurring ores,” often used in bakery products and candy to give them a glossy look. The FDA noted that while it’s currently an approved and regulated additive, the agency is reviewing a Color Additive Petition that asks the FDA to ban its use in foods. 

The ingredient is also one of the most frequently cited additives in the White House’s Make America Healthy Again report, which states that it “may cause cellular and DNA damage.” The White House report referenced a 2022 study, which concluded that the ingredient could lead to “oxidative stress,” indicating that long-term ingestion of titanium dioxide might also result in adverse reactions such as “colorectal cancer, liver injury, reproductive toxicity, cardiac and kidney damage.” 

It’s a move by Mars that food advocates believe should have happened a long time ago. “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,” Jaydee Hanson, policy director at the Center for Food Safety, shared in a statement.

“Mars’ decision this week to finally reformulate Skittles is a long-overdue step in the right direction — but it’s not enough,” Hanson added. “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.” 

While Mars did not comment on whether its product would look or taste different to consumers, it did share that its 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.”

Bloomberg’s report noted that Mars had pledged to stop using the ingredient in 2016; however, it still appeared on the ingredient list of its Sour Skittles product as recently as this year. A spokesperson for the brand told Bloomberg that it uses the ingredient “in compliance with government regulations,” but noted that it is in the process of updating its packaging and website to reflect the changes. Nevertheless, consumers may still see it listed for some time until all the remaining products are sold or removed from store shelves.

It’s important to note that the candy still contains several food coloring additives targeted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including Red 40, Blue 1, and Yellow 5 and 6. However, there is no word yet on whether Mars plans to change its formulation further or if the HHS has any plans to implement regulatory changes.