-Natalee Gilbert-

Cousins!

The rainbow-inspired sweet candy, Skittles, is being sued by Jenile Thames for using the toxic chemical titanium dioxide (TiO2) as part of their food coloring!

The lawsuit states that Mars Inc., Skittles’ parent company, has disregarded the state’s consumer protection laws. Their claim is supported by a Reuters report made in 2016. During that time, Skittles promised to remove TiO2 from its products. In return, the candy company’s campaign was meant to push other companies to stop using artificial food coloring. Thames is pushing this notion because it “violates consumer protection laws and is fraudulent.” 

Earlier this year, Thames purchased Skittles from a local gas station and discovered that they contained TiO2. Because of this, he believes Mars Inc. doesn’t care to warn consumers of the side effects of this chemical. TiO2 is used in products containing adhesives, plastic, paint, and roofing materials. If TiO2 is consumed too much, it can cause DNA, brain, and organ damage, as well as lesions in the liver and kidneys.

( 📸: Reuters))

The lawsuit claims:

“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.”

“A reasonable consumer would expect that [Skittles] can be safely purchased and consumed as marketed and sold,” Thames told The New York Post. “However, the products are not safe.”

Titanium dioxide will be banned in the European Union next month. Safe regulators found that the levels of TiO2 in any food would be unsafe because of “genotoxicity,” or the ability to change DNA.

Some users on Twitter chimed in about this news. One humored other Twitter users by saying, “Taste the rainbow, die from the rainbow!” Another stated: “I use titanium dioxide as a sunscreen daily. I guess I’ll keep my skittles.” 

(📸: Oriental Trading)