Skittles Lawsuit Alleges the Fruit Candy Is 'Unfit for Human Consumption'
A California lawsuit says Mars didn't warn consumers of the health problems associated with the use of titanium dioxide in Skittles.
The California lawsuit was filed against Mars on Thursday.
Your favorite rainbow-colored candy might be "unfit for human consumption," a California lawsuit alleges.
A California man is suing Mars, the maker of Skittles, in a lawsuit filed Thursday, claiming that the titanium dioxide in the candy should not be consumed by humans. The suit is seeking class action status.
Titanium dioxide, according to Science Alert, is a white coloring agent used in products including confectionery, cake decorations, toothpaste, cosmetics and paper. The US Food and Drug Administration says it is safe to consume but limits how much titanium dioxide can be used in a product to 1% of a food's weight.
California resident Jenile Thames alleges that Mars has "long known about [its] health problems" and failed to warn consumers about the potential harms of titanium dioxide in Skittles, which the lawsuit alleges is a fraud of omission under California law.
The chemical compound is removed from the Skittles recipe in some European nations and countries, according to the lawsuit.
Mars didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the company told The Washington Post that while it doesn't comment on pending litigation, "our use of titanium dioxide complies with FDA regulations."