Skittles Just Changed Their Formula – Here's The Ingredient That's Been Removed

On Tuesday, Bloomberg announced that Mars Inc. has removed the controversial color additive titanium dioxide from its Skittles candies. The change was made at the end of last year, though Skittles containing the ingredient may still be on store shelves.

Experts are torn on whether or not titanium dioxide is truly harmful, but some studies suggest that the ingredient could cause cancer, damage DNA, and potentially harm the immune system and intestines. While small amounts are inconsequential, titanium dioxide can build up in the body over time.

Titanium dioxide — along with processed food in general — has been a target of United States Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again campaign. The shift against the additive has been a long time coming: In 2016, Mars claimed that it would stop using artificial colors, though the company never made good on the promise. However, state governments and non-governmental organizations have upped the pressure in recent years. In 2022, the European Union banned titanium dioxide, while Stateside, a class action lawsuit targeted Skittles over the additive. The lawsuit was dismissed.

In 2023, the Environmental Working Group and the Center for Food Safety petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to ban the ingredient. California attempted a statewide ban the same year, though the effort was unsuccessful.

Despite California's unsuccessful attempt at a titanium dioxide ban, the state did manage to effectively ban brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye No. 3, setting a precedent for ingredient bans at a state level and putting serious stress on the processed food industry.

After California became the first state to issue statewide bans on food additives, others started to follow suit. Now, dozens of states have introduced bills targeting additives, many of which include titanium dioxide on their list of targets. Melanie Benesh, the Environmental Working Group's Vice President of Government Affairs, cites state bans, not slow-moving feds, as the reason behind Mars's ingredient change. "What has unquestionably made a difference is all of the action at the state level," Benesh told the BBC.

Skittles didn't specifically explain the logic behind the ban, though a representative did state that "All our products are safe to enjoy and meet the high standards and applicable regulations set by food safety authorities around the world."