MCLEAN, VA. — Mars Inc. has removed titanium dioxide from Skittles sold in the United States, according to a May 28 article from Bloomberg. Mars did not respond to a request for comment from Food Business News, the sister publication of MEAT+POULTRY.

A food coloring, titanium dioxide adds a bright white color to food, including candy. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows the use of the ingredient in foods and beverages, but a petition dated March 13, 2023, asks the agency to remove its approval for synthetically prepared titanium dioxide, citing genotoxicity concerns. The FDA has yet to rule on the petition. A report released May 22 of this year by the Make America Healthy Again Commission named titanium dioxide as one of many ingredients contributing to the poor health of American children.

McLean-based Mars in 2016 said it would remove all artificial colors from its chocolate, gum, confection, food and drink products over a five-year period. In 2022, a lawsuit was filed against Mars, Inc., alleging Skittles were unfit for human consumption because they contained titanium dioxide.

Titanium dioxide no longer appears on the ingredient list for Skittles, but the petroleum-based synthetic food dyes Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and 6, and Blue No. 1 and No. 2 still do.