Skittles Maker Sued for Selling Product “Unfit for Human Consumption”

I read the headline and just assumed they were being sued by M&Ms.

The Guardian:

Taste the toxin?

A lawsuit filed Thursday in northern California federal court alleges that Skittles candies, which boast the slogan “taste the rainbow” on account of their many colors, contain a “known toxin” called titanium dioxide, rendering them “unfit for human consumption”.

Jenile Thames, a resident of San Leandro, filed suit against Mars Inc, the confection company that produces Skittles, seeking class-action status and alleging that people who consume Skittles “are at heightened risk of a host of health effects for which they were unaware stemming from genotoxicity – the ability of a chemical substance to change DNA”.

The civil suit contends that Mars has long known about alleged risks associated with this chemical and, in February 2016, publicly vowed that it would phase out titanium dioxide. After France banned titanium dioxide in 2019, Mars said that it would comply with this regulation, court papers state.

Thames’s lawsuit alleges that Mars “blew smoke” with that promise six years ago, by intimating that the phase-out was just because “consumers today are calling on food manufacturers to use more natural ingredients in their products”.

“Incredibly, Defendant even claimed that ‘[a]rtificial colors pose no known risks to human health or safety’,” Thames’ suit also said. “In doing so, Defendant concealed from consumers material information it knew.”

Thames contends that Mars still sells candy in the US that contains titanium dioxide as an additive and is “failing to inform consumers of the implications of consuming the toxin”. (Ingredients lists vary, some saying they might or might not contain titanium dioxide.)

“Instead, Defendant relies on the ingredient list which is provided in minuscule print on the back of the Products, the reading of which is made even more challenging by the lack of contrast in color between the font and packaging, as set out below in a manner in which consumers would normally view the product in the store,” court papers contend.

Thames argued that Mars does not appropriately apprise Skittles consumers of this alleged unsafe additive, either before or at the time of purchase – nor did the company tell them that these candies “should otherwise be approached with caution”.

Basically, all candy is toxic. Pretty much all processed food of any kind is toxic. But I like a bit of chocolate now and again, and you just can’t find any that isn’t filled with soy and various chemicals to ensure consistency. Even gourmet chocolates are not safe. I’m sure you can go to some kind of elite French chocolate store and pay $38 an ounce for something that is pure.

In general though – you don’t need sugar or snacks. Just eat whole foods. Unless you have the money to shop at Whole Foods, you’re going to be getting enough pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones in your whole foods to begin with; you don’t need the extra poisons from the processed foods.

This video was made by the Titanium Dioxide Manufacturers Association, so you know they know what they’re talking about