In the summer of 2022, at least two consumer lawsuits were filed against the manufacturer of Skittles candy due to the presence of a known toxin in the product. The ingredient in question is titanium dioxide, also known as E171, which the manufacturer, Mars, Inc., had pledged to phase out six years prior.
Titanium dioxide has been banned as a food additive in the European Union since February 2022, nine months after the European Food Safety Authority published a report calling it unsafe as a food additive.
Titanium Dioxide Has Long Been Common in the US
Titanium dioxide has been approved as a food ingredient, with specific restrictions, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since the mid-1960s. This common food additive—a white, odorless, and tasteless powder—is used as a whitening agent, thickener, and texturizer. Titanium dioxide is a naturally occurring mineral that can also be found in some non-food products, such as sunscreen….