Skittles to remove titanium dioxide from all products sold in the US.
Sweets giant Mars said it had stopped using the ingredient in its US Skittles portfolio at the end of last year.
Skittles in the US are no longer being made with titanium dioxide, a colour additive that was banned in the European Union in 2022 over possible health risks.
The move follows years of criticism about the presence of titanium dioxide in the candy and comes as US President Donald Trump’s elevation of Robert F Kennedy Jr to lead the Department of Health and Human Services has pushed concerns about processed foods to the front of public health debates.
Mars had said in 2016 that it would stop using “all artificial colours” in its foods, citing evolving consumer preferences.
The company did not comment on whether consumers would notice any difference after the removal of the ingredient, which can be used to make food shiny or more brightly coloured.
Mars and other firms have disputed claims of health risks associated with consumption of titanium dioxide, a white pigment that is used in bakery products, sweets, cosmetics and other products such as paint.
It is allowed in many countries, including the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand.
In the US, a high-profile 2023 effort in California to ban the ingredient was defeated, but efforts in other states continue to bubble.
